Activities/Comments/Who
1999

Sinead & Paul   -   Our first visit, was for nearly a month.  We went to the Orphanage every week day and did a lot of educational type activities.  We did a lot of Art Work.  We also helped in the general day to day activities that  happen in  an Orphanage  (i.e  cleaning, changing diapers, assisting at meal times etc)   We also played a lot of games.  The children loved the stimulus of having a game organised for them.  We also had  raised enough money through family and friends to purchase some sports equipment and bed sheets for over 100 beds.  These goods were purchased in Kathmandu with help from the people at the Orphanage.

2004

Sinead, Paul & Louise   -   The second visit was a great success.  Louise, from Ireland came and gave great support and help during our 2 week stay.  We, and the children and the workers at the Orphanage had a great time.  We noticed some building and hygiene improvements around the Orphanage as a number of groups and people had become involved.  A great lady from America had established a Pre-School for the toddlers who were waiting to attend Kindergarten.  Her program and efforts were amazing.  The children seemed happy and looked quite healthy, which is a great sign.  This time we were better prepared and we had a substantial amount of money to spend, due to fund raising efforts in Japan, and the generosity of our friends and family.  Therefore, we were able to purchase sandals for all the children in the Orphanage, a wide screen new TV that was greeted with delight, and we also did a lot of manual labor assisting the builders who were renovating some spare rooms, in order to make a new room for the ever expanding baby population.  We bought carpet/vinyl floor covering for these rooms.  Louise, with the assistance of many kids, painted a great mural on the walls of these rooms.  And of course, there were many games played and conversations had with the kids.

2005 Chrismas

It was great to go back to Balmandir again and see all the great work that has been going on there. Construction on the new dining hall has started. The Baby Room that we helped construct a year or so ago is working wonderfully well. There are plans to build a balacony onto this room that will enable the children to be in the sunshine and keep a bit warmer during the chilly winter days. Many of the children are attending school and doing well. There seems to be enough food for all the kids and there are constant games of cricket and football being played out in the courtyard. Sadly, there has been a change in leadership, as Mr. Suraj Dahal has decided to step down from his full time role as Director. There was wonderful support for him as the head of the Orphanage, and it was plain to see that things had progressed under his leadership.

We spent a lot of the time with the smaller children this time and helped out a lot in the Baby and Toddler’s Room. We also set up a fund that sees money being directly transferred into an account that can be accessed by the Orphanage to help with any of the current projects under way. Mr. Rajesh Shrestha, a close personal friend and lawyer who is based in Kathmandu has agreed to act as overseer of this account. Thanks Rajesh!

We would like to thank once again all the people who have donated money or their time to help out with the work we have done there, especially the staff, friends and students from Kyoto International School in Japan and from Galway Educate Together in Ireland.

Thanks a million.

Check out the new pictures and the video of the Orphanage. Lastly, a big thank-you to Matthias who very generously donates his time and efforts to ensure that this site is kept up and running on the Web. Thanks Matthias.

Next visit Christmas 2006.

July 2007

It was great to return to the orphanage and see all the kids and the staff. I must say that the Orphanage is looking really well. There has been obvious improvements and moneys spent. The new dining hall is finished and there is a new TV room in the converted attic. The rooms seem to be all working well, and of course the “diddy’s” (live in helpers) do a wonderful wonderful job.

This trip the money raised was spent on school shoes and school bags and stainless steel plates and cups. We also had a little money to help out a good friend of ours Bina Basnet, who is running a new creche for very needy kids in Kathmandu. She accepts students up to 5, who are from very poor backgrounds. Often these kids have either no father or mother, and it is very difficult to survive earning as little as 2 euro a day. We hope to raise a substantial amount of money over the next year, as Bina’s creche has very little support, and is currently renting premises at a high cost. More information can be found out on this organisation at www.orchidgardennepal.org.

Once again thanks to all those who donated money from Ireland and Australia.