Reliance School Girls Basketball Team, Spring 2017

HCC students Kabita and Rina were mentioned in The Himalayan Times, Nepal’s top English daily newspaper, for their achievements as members of the Reliance School Girls Basketball team. In a nail biter final at the 24th Annual Gyan Carnival, Rina’s 11 points significantly helped push the Reliance School’s win over Innovative, 32-30. For her contributions to the success of the team as a whole, Kabita was named Most Valuable Player. Check out the article in The Himalayan Times here. Congratulations to all of the players on a great game, and congratulations to Rina and Kabita on their recognition for a job well done! We are so proud!

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Katie with students in 2011

My first time visiting Nepal was in 2011 to teach English to the students of Himalayan Children’s Charities. I spent a couple of months working with the eager students on their grammar, pronouncing “th” or “sh” words, and even a day of learning to swim at the local pool. I was there to teach children and experience Nepal and fell deeply in love with the country and the people, especially those at HCC’s youth home Khushi Ghar, or “Happy Home” in Nepali. My time there was a whirlwind of Nepali phrases, dancing, beautiful clothing, rhythmic music, building relationships, new tastes, and juicy mangoes. I delighted in the lifestyle and culture and felt immensely connected to my Nepali family. Since returning back home, my mind has been focused on finding ways to stay connected with the people I met in Kathmandu who added so much happiness to my life, looking for the next opportunity when I could travel back to see them again.

I had that chance in November 2017. The day I arrived in Kathmandu was a lively day. Leaving the airport, I couldn’t believe the added traffic and new construction within the city, a place where more people were flocking to live, work, or visit, and now catering more to tourists.

Khushi Ghar in Nov. 2017

With great excitement, I took a cab to Khushi Ghar. Through the gates, I was greeted by my Nepali family in such a loving way that made me feel as if little time had passed since I was last there, and as though I have remained a cherished member of the family. Outside, the city had changed, but inside, I felt the same warmth and love I had experienced before. Through my stay, the tastes of masala tea and smells of turmeric, curry, rice, and vegetables brought me back to my first time here. We reminisced over my lessons, creating art, and funny stories. I learned about the accomplishments of the students. It’s hard to believe that those I worked with so closely when they were children are now young adults in graduate school, working in fulfilling jobs, and some even married. Little Dikshant, son of Khushi Ghar’s loving house parents, is now 12, loves making omelets and is learning how to play the piano. I also met a new member of the family, Bob, who brings laughter and mischievous liveliness to the home.

Sharing laughs in Kathmandu

Now, a small and strong team works together within Khushi Ghar – including some of the students that I worked with. No one is more important than another, as all play vital roles and work together in maintaining what HCC stands for: education, compassion, and opportunity. They have developed new projects benefiting children affected by the earthquake, creating awareness for anti-trafficking, guiding a new generation of students to live fulfilled lives, and in all, creating change that will benefit their country and future generations.

Though some of the familiar faces have grown up, their hearts and energy are the same. It’s beautiful to see and to be reminded of how they have a greater emphasis on relationships in Nepal with family and friends. Though my stay was brief, I look forward to when I will go back again to our Happy Home.

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Photo by Lorikay Photography

Our Annual Fundraiser in Atlanta at Sweetwater Brewing Company was a smashing success and raised thousands of dollars to support HCC Students and Programming. We had a wonderful night of beer tasting, music, silent auction, raffle and community among friends, old and new.

Photo by Lorikay Photography

Thank you to all HCC Supporters, whether you’ve been with us for over a decade or are brand new to HCC. We are so grateful for your compassion and for your desire to make a difference in the lives of orphaned, abandoned and at-risk children in Nepal.

Click HERE to check out photos from the event. If you would like to purchase prints, use the code HCC10 to get your first print free! All other prints will be priced accordingly:

Photo by Lorikay Photography

$5 4×6 (reg $10)
$10 5×7 (reg $15)
$15 8×10 (reg $35)
$16 8×12 (reg $35)
$10 digital download. (reg $20-$40)

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From L to R: Giri Raj, Rupesh, Hira

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Graduates at HCC Tihar celebrations

The autumn is an important time in Nepal, where two of the most significant holidays on the Nepali calendar are celebrated. Dashain and Tihar dominate the fall calendar with days dedicated to celebrating family, friends, natural resources and religious and cultural traditions. At Khushi Ghar, HCC’s youth home in Kathmandu, students chose to use the holidays as a time to both celebrate their HCC family as well as give back to the greater community at large.

HCC KAT Centre volunteers

During Dashain, students conducted a neighborhood clean up to prepare for the holidays, attacking the sight of litter with gusto. The neighborhood was encouraged by the students’ actions, and HCC has left the door open for future community clean-up opportunities with Khushi Ghar neighbors. The following month, during Tihar, students volunteered at the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre (KAT Centre) on Kukur Tihar. Tihar is a five-day celebration with each day focused on a specific idea. On Kukur Tihar, the special relationship between dogs and humans are celebrated. Students worked at the KAT Centre on Kukur Tihar to help look after stray and abandoned dogs that are being housed by the center. It was a great day of both family time as well as community service.

Check out more photos of our Nepali holiday gatherings for both Dashain and Tihar.

Senior HCC Women at Khushi Ghar during Dashain

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Sherry and Jeff Jones

Often when we think of an activist or a philanthropist, we think of the most famous names in the world, from Bill Gates to Malala Yousafzai. However, most activists and philanthropists are not household names; most activists are your neighbors, friends, and you, working quietly behind the scenes, ensuring charitable causes stay afloat by donating time, capital, and public support. HCC is blessed to have sponsors who go above and beyond with their consistent, generous support that provides the very backbone to the HCC organization. Our students rely on the support of sponsors, developing relationships with sponsors over years, and in many ways, becoming family, separated by thousands of miles, but family all the same.

From Left: Sherry, Kabita and Jeff

For a decade, Sherry Jones and her husband Jeff have been active supporters of HCC, sponsoring Kabita, now 15, for much of her childhood. After meeting HCC Co-Founders Bruce and Susan Keenan through a mutual friend, Sherry knew that sponsoring a child would be the right fit. “We had wanted to adopt,” Sherry said, “and we knew that sponsoring would be different, of course, but we wanted to [sponsor a child].” Throughout Kabita’s childhood, communication has been primarily through letters from Kabita and updates from HCC staff. Now that Kabita has entered into her teens, Sherry has had the opportunity to communicate via Skype and has even visited her in Nepal in March 2016. When meeting in person for the first time, Sherry said of Kabita, “she’s so beautiful…sweet and quiet,” but later on “she really opened up!” Jeff, Sherry, and Kabita even traveled together on a trek to Annapurna in Nepal, having the opportunity to bond while taking in the beauty of Nepal as a family.

Formally working in real estate, Sherry is currently using her MBA to start her new business Gypsy Secrets, a sustainable, organic skincare line, intended to limit the use of harmful chemicals and promote better health through organic alternatives. As a conscious change-maker for a variety of causes, including environmental causes and animal rights, Sherry has a great passion for making the world a better place. She has been a committed HCC supporter, not only sponsoring a child but actively working to promote HCC’s work by hosting fundraisers in her home and volunteering much time and energy to make HCC’s annual Atlanta fundraiser a smashing success.

Kabita at HCC’s youth home Khushi Ghar

With all of her interests and ventures, why HCC after all these years? For Sherry, drawing from her own experience in her travels around the globe, she knows that “living in poverty in a third world country is drastically different than in the U.S…when you go to Nepal you see it…kids begging in the street,” exacerbated by a lack of in-country sustainable infrastructure. She commented on witnessing a lack of “basic human needs-the little money that we give makes such a huge difference.” By sponsoring Kabita, she said it was “moving to see [her]; this little girl could have had a hugely different life,” citing the dangers of abuse, rape, neglect and worse to which many vulnerable children fall victim.

When asked about how someone could get started in making a difference in the world, Sherry suggested to “donate [your] time. An hour a week, a few hours a month; give ideas, offer connections [organizations] can use.” She notes that not all contributions need to be financial to be valuable, but that people in the U.S. would be surprised at just how little it costs to make a significant difference in the life of a child in Nepal. For the most impoverished and vulnerable in Nepal, “something as little as $50 goes a long way.”

Did you know you can sponsor a child in need for as little as $250 a year? To learn more about the different levels of sponsorship, and how you can change the life of a child today, visit our sponsorship page on our website HERE.

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Trekking in Nepal

One of the biggest draws of Nepal for travelers and locals alike is the breathtaking scenery. From the beautiful lakes, gorgeous temples and bustling cities, Nepal has a lot of offer to visitors as well as citizens seeking to enjoy and appreciate their home. Perhaps nothing encapsulates the allure of Nepal more than the presence of the Himalayas, particularly the highest point on the globe, Mt. Everest. Recently, avid hikers embarked on a trek through the Himalayas and part of their trekking fees were used to benefiting HCC programming.

Himalayan Sewa Expedition and Trek are a trekking company in Kathmandu owned by Rajendra Timalsina, Dinesh Raj Sapkota and Madhav Dhamala with which HCC has long been connected. HCC student Manoj Shrestra even developed Himalayan Sewa’s website. Currently, they have raised 7,000 Nepali Rupees for HCC programming, and Rajendra and Madhav have committed to making on-going donations to HCC programs and students. Check out Himalayan Sewa Expedition and Trek here.

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After informing the neighbors that students would be out en masse to clean the neighborhood, the students, armed with gloves, brooms, and dustpans, set to work cleaning the neighborhood for the holidays. Weeds were pulled, wrappers and cigarette butts were correctly disposed of, and a neighborhood plan was made to more regularly dispose of refuse in local garbage bins around the community. Neighbors were invited to join the Khushi Ghar community in future local events, cementing students’ relationship with their community on a local level. Regular events designed to give back to the community allow students to develop confidence in their ability to design and execute community projects, cultivate camaraderie with their fellow community members and develop leadership skills. Students had so much fun and can’t wait to continue with more community projects in the future!

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Join Himalayan Children’s Charities for the annual “Party for a Cause” at 7pm on Friday, November 17th at Sweetwater Brewery in Atlanta.

Guests will enjoy a tour of Sweetwater Brewery and a beer tasting along with music, buffet dinner, and a silent auction included in the $100 per person price of admission. Program highlights include a video message from sponsored students in Nepal and a program update from HCC Co-Founder Bruce Keenan on his most recent fall trip to Nepal. Guests can purchase holiday gifts from the boutique of handcrafted Nepali items such as shawls, ornaments, and jewelry. Proceeds from ticket sales and auction will benefit HCC’s programs. Click below to register! 

REGISTER HERE

Guests can preview silent auction items on the GiveSmart Mobile Bidding Site and are encouraged to register in advance so that they can participate in mobile bidding. Outstanding auction items include the once in a lifetime experience Astronaut Training at Kennedy Space Center, alluring travel packages to Costa Rican & Mexican resorts, 4-night Luxury Home stay at Montana Sporting Club in Belt, Montana, VIP Experience at Atlanta Hawks game, Center Box tickets to Lakewood Amphitheater concert or event of winner’s choice for 2018 series, and many more items to come!

Interested in learning how you can support HCC through sponsorship or auction donations? Please contact Susan Keenan at 678-575-9912 or bckeenan@yahoo.com

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