Stop Making Paper Orphans of Nepal Children

Shari Davis & Ellen Currin are InTheField Travelers with GlobalGiving who are visiting our partners’ projects throughout Nepal. Here is their “Postcard” from their most recent visit to Orchid Garden in Nepal:

 “This is my dream!” These were the words of greeting from Bina Basnet as we arrived at her school and daycare, Orchid Garden. She explained to us that the space we were seeing- the brightly colored school buildings, children at play in the yard, the classrooms full of learning- were all a part of her life dream.

Orchid Garden serves over 200 children, providing schooling, meals, daycare and housing to Nepali kids in need. Those attending the school ranged in age from 8 months to 12 years and could be seen sitting in circles with teachers, or at desks practicing writing in the many small classrooms of Orchid Garden.

 Bina started our tour by showing us the art projects produced by children in the school. She explained students also attended art class, dance class, and Spanish learning class in addition to normal studies. The classrooms were clean and organized, each with a carpet and drawings outside depicting colorful hand washing messages drawn by the kids.

Bina explained much of the funding from the school came from volunteers coming to visit the school, seeing the needs of the children and sending donations back to Orchid Garden. She explains that she is lucky to afford the teacher’s salaries and rent for the land, though she has limited funding for the children’s meals and school supplies. “This is where we need money.”

 We walked into the kindergarten classroom and Bina shouted “Where are we?”

“Nepal!” The students yelled enthusiastically in response.

“Who are we?”

“Nepali!”

 Bina explained that much of her family was in the US waiting for her to join them. When asked about her future, she replied, “Once Orchid Garden is in a stable place, I will move out of Kathmandu to a rural village, and help those children in need. This is my dream, you see.”