NEPAL - Street Children in Need
 Nepal is situated north-east of India, near Bhutan. It is a country rich in beauty and natural resources. However, approximately 75 percent of the nearly 20 million Nepalese cannot read or write and poverty dictates their lives. As a result, countless children live on the streets of the main city Kathmandu (420,000 inhabitants). They survive by stealing, begging and sleeping on the streets.
The Beginning of NAG
In 1992, Nicole Wick (now Thakuri) came from Switzerland to Kathmandu. She was 23 years old and wanted to work as a volunteer with street children. She soon realised that instead of returning home to study engineering, she could be of more use here.
In September, 1993 she opened "Nawa Asha Griha", the "Home of New Hopes", with donations from Switzerland and "Les Enfants du Nepal" in France. She started with six children and, until beds could be constructed, everybody slept on the floor.
Present
 Now, 2004, Nicole runs the home together with her husband, Jeeten Thakuri. There are 164 children who are given not only a bed and shelter, but also food, clothing and education; all this in a close family atmosphere, where each member has certain obligations towards the others. Additional 161 children are day students from the surrounding slums.
Nawa Asha Griha is well organized. All the washing, cleaning and kitchen duties are done by the children themselves. Their ages range from 1 to 20 years (mostly the children do not know their birthdates).
The School
 
In March 1995, three full-time teachers started the tuition-program covering Nepali, English, Mathematics, Geometry, Social Studies etc.
In 1998 the tuition classes became registered as an official school under the name of Niten Niketan. Education is provided up to class 10 with 16 local teachers. The school is under Nepali law and the control of the Ministry of Education.
 
These children also receive a warm lunch, for most the only meal of the day. In order to provide the older children (14 upwards) with alternative skills there are workshops in handicraft, cooking, tanka painting, music and martial arts run by professionals. There is a library, a recreation room and outside a game area for some sportive activites like football, basketball, taekwondo etc.
In 2002 NAG moved from the slums of Thinchuli to Sanepa, a safer and cleaner area of Kathmandu. It was in this rented complex the rent-contract had been cancelled for April 05. In Oct. 2005 NAG bought a deserted factory area in the north of Kathmandu, which is now a permanent Home and School for the children. An Bus drives the day students from the slums to the NAG school daily.
All this was only possible because of the remarkable assistance we've received from sponsors and contributors in giving these children the opportunity to develop their personalities and capabilities in such happy surroundings.
On the left side the home till 2002, On the right hand the recent home 2007
|
Home
