Our first trip to Nepal - 2005
First let me introduce ourselves I am Anne and I am married to Derek, we live in Black Mountain, Queensland ,Australia with five of our 8 children.
In 2005 we travelled to Nepal this was just a stopover to us. We were on our way to trek for two weeks in Tibet. Kathmandu, Nepal was just the place to meet our group, prepare for the trip and recuperate after the trek. However as much as Tibet intrigued us, Nepal shared our hearts. Wandering around the streets, experiencing the local people led us to wanting to help this country in some way. This led us to our goal of opening a children’s home. Giving orphans an opportunity to live in a safe loving environment, where they will be able to be educated and be taught to be self sufficient not rely on begging. It is our dream that this will snowball in time. That those we help will go on to do the same.
In Nepal the hotel we stayed in was on the main road and we watched many comings and goings of the local people and of course the children. I watched with interest day in and day out, the lives of two particular children - trading for business within metres of our hotel.
keTi 1. ( Girl 1)
I say maybe 9 yrs old? She had a baby strapped to her back with a dirty rag cloth. She spent hours asking tourists “Milk for baby, money for milk” she appeared every late afternoon to evening to do the same. Of course some tourists gave her money. One lady however decided she would make sure the baby got milk as she did not trust the money was spent on milk. She asked the girl where do you take this money to and buy the milk. The girl replied a particular corner chemist. Of course the lady went to the chemist and bought the formula milk for the baby, the little girl was grateful and offered many thanks. I then watched as the street quietened down for the evening, the mother came and collected her children, took the money and started breastfeeding her baby as they walked home for the night.
I had an ear infection so early the next morning I decided to go to the chemist shop myself. There we saw the little girl and her can of formula milk trading the milk back to the chemist, he then put it away in the cupboard and handed the little girl her money. I asked our friend (a local man) about this transaction he laughed and said it happened regularly. The man kept the formula milk in the cupboard for tourists to buy. I was amazed at the young age of this girl and what she did for money for her family. I thought to myself – With education Imagine what this young girl could achieve…. I watched her laughing and playing with other children but when potential customers were around she was sad and pleading. Very clever little actress just doing whatever she had to do.
Ketaa 1. ( Boy 1)
One night I had come out of a shop where I had bought some t-shirts and there was an outdoor stall I had noticed a couple of nights earlier selling Prayer flags. I wanted to take some home for the centre. I wandered over but noticed the man owner was away from the stall. I decided to leave and come back the next night. This was not to be. A young boy immediately stepped up and started negotiating asking what I would like, I asked the price of buying 10rolls of prayer flags. He gave me a price that made them cost ten times more than they were in Australia! This was the worst starting price for negotiation I had ever come across and of course told him so and walked away. All I can say this young man was not letting me go, he haggled for all it was worth and the back and forth was on, with me in fits of laughter.
A crowd was gathering watching the haggle. I class myself as very fair with haggling I will not go beyond a reasonable amount. Derek & myself pay a good fair price, we decide what we would pay and haggle to that amount even though we know we can get it for less, saving 50 cents for us is nothing - for them it is a meal they would have gone without.
In the end we settled on a price the boy shook my hand and proceeded to pack up ten packets of prayer flags ( each pack contains four rolls) I thought I negotiated for 10 rolls but I been negotiating for forty ! The gathered men were pleased the boy had his first sale and I gave him a very generous tip. This boy greeted me every day as I passed always smiling.
Again I thought to myself –
With education Imagine what this young boy could achieve…
There was much civil unrest at the time of our visit with our second last day resulting in a bomb outside our hotel. Of course leaving us stranded on a deserted street. In the end all was good, trucks of army rolled in and dealt with it all. However this was the start – the tourists stopped coming. No Tourists – No trade – No money. Back in Australia we often wondered how things were going. A guide that showed us around Nepal was struck hard, his wife was pregnant, he was uneducated and his livelihood was guiding tourists. He read the tourists newspapers everyday so kept up with world news and spoke 4 languages. (He learnt language from tourists) We sent him $50 every month to help the wife and baby and in the end she had to return to her parent’s village as they were so poor. This man was an orphan and did not go back with her to her parent’s village due to religion difference. It was sad that this family was separated.
It was then we decided to help the orphans, we hope you can help to.
Love Anne & Derek
We are looking for FRIENDS ! It is our goal for each child that enters our home to have an established circle of friends. A group of friends that they can communicate with, that help fund their needs and give the children a sense of family- friends that care about their welfare.
