Children's Home

Kathmandu

PA Nepal provides a home for 60 children of convicted parents with ages ranging from 18 months to 18 years. Under normal circumstances these children would live in jail whilst their parents served their sentence. However, under the supervision of PA Nepal many of these children have been assisted and provided with a secure and loving environment in which they can develop and learn.

Although PA Nepal believes in keeping the family together wherever possible, we also recognise the dangers both physically and mentally of leaving children within prisons where treatment is determined by wealth. As such, we attempt to maintain family bonds with regular visits to the imprisoned parents and efforts to reintegrate children into their villages of origin.

The home provides the opportunity for the children to attend school locally thanks to the donations of many individuals and organisations. Likewise, necessities such as food, water and medicine are provided that would otherwise be unavailable to these children. The home is also assisted by volunteers from a variety of nations including local Nepalese who offer help with homework and weekend activities.

We believe that the first step towards the future of these children is creating a nurturing environment and with your help we can do just that!

Sankhu - The New Home

PA Nepal recently opened a second children's home in Sankhu, about 45 minutes outside of Kathamndu. The idea behind this home is to deal with some of the problems that are arising due to living in Kathmandu. Most importantly, we continue to struggle with severe water shortages and pollution (which affects our physical health), rapid urban development (our mental and emotional health) and the continual loss of traditional ways, knowledge and lifestyles. A home in the country side means that our children and staff can be more physically active, continue to live in more traditional Nepali ways and maintain their cultural and traditional knowledge. Most of the women and children supported by PA Nepal face the reality of returning to their village and farming. As such, this new home will allow them to be better prepared for this reintegration.

The land for the new home was bought in March 2006. It covers 7 Ropanis, or 3,650 square meters and is on a gentle hillside which has been terraced for farming. There is traditional Nepali house, which currently accommodates 10 children and one staff. We have our own fresh water source and are surrounded by jungles and other farmland. Sankhu Bazaar, a small market town 2 km away, provides goods, food, school and medical facilities for local residents. Sankhu affords PA Nepal children and staff, a healthy rural environment in which to live. Owning the land ourselves provides us with long-term sustainability and independence.

Over the last year PA Nepal workers, volunteers and staff have commenced development of the first floor that will accommodate 26 children and 2 staff members. At present we are rebuilding the footpath leading from the main road, building a water reserve tank, fixing up the house and working the land for farming. Our aim is to ultimately accommodate 80 children when funds can be gathered to build separate residential units, which would each house 20 respectively.

With all these changes your help is more important now than ever before! We are currently short by USD $5000 to complete the first floor of the new building. We are applying for funds though a variety of sources, but if you think that you can help then please contact us or take the time to download and read through the Sankhu Funding Proposal. Our hope is to have completed construction by mid June 2007, with children occupying the house as soon as the inside is furnished.