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I had an incredible opportunity to go to Dhading with Dinesh Uncle, Uttam brother and Laxmi sister and was honoured to be a part of the amazing volunteer work. Our journey began with a 3-hour drive from Kathmandu, during which we marveled at the scenic beauty of Nepal’s countryside. Upon reaching Dhading, we were warmly welcomed by the staff and students of Success School and Advance Academy.

One of the highlights of this trip was the opportunity to meet and interact with more than 54 students supported by HCC’s generous sponsorship. Our senior HCC student; Uttam Basaula and I took the students’ update, Laxmi sister was incharge of the scholarship distribution and Dinesh uncle captured beautiful pictures. Our conversations were casual yet impactful, as we learned about their unique hobbies, educational aspirations, and current life circumstances. Despite facing challenging economic conditions, the children displayed incredible determination and optimism. 

We made sure to take detailed notes during these conversations to prepare comprehensive reports for each student. One thing I have realized from this trip was that the educational support that HCC has provided truly made a significant difference in their lives.

The stories we heard were both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. It was touching to witness the children’s hope and resilience, while also being made aware of the hardships they endure. Yet, the education sponsorship has undoubtedly provided them with a sense of hope and possibility for a brighter future.

As part of our visit, we distributed carefully prepared care packages to each student, tailored to their essential needs. These packages contained items such as shampoo, hair bands, sanitary pads, stationery items, notebooks, brushes, toothpaste, comb, and towels. The gratitude and joy expressed by the children upon receiving these gifts were deeply moving.

On behalf of the school committee and the teachers, Shree Bindu Keshar Secondary School expressed their heartfelt appreciation by presenting us with a warm and touching speech along with a token of love and appreciation certificate. 

They wanted to convey their gratitude for the positive impact sponsorship has had on their lives and encouraged us to continue doing such great deeds.

This trip has left an indelible mark on all of us, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful endeavor. It felt great to see the contributions that are making a tangible difference, providing these children with hope, education, and the chance to pursue their dreams. Together, we are making a lasting difference in the lives of these wonderful children.

-Chadani

If you want to help support our Rise Program and the students in Lower Dhading, and beyond, donate today!

The post Chadani’s Report from Lower Dhading appeared first on HCC Nepal.

We raised almost $10k!

Mun Maya submitted this report on the distribution of winter clothing:

Children in rural communities may find it difficult to attend school every day and achieve their dreams due to a lack of proper school uniforms. There should be at least two dresses available for wearing and washing. There are many health problems associated with wearing a shabby, dirty, and torn dress. HCC has been providing school dress, personal care items, and school supplies to these students for the past two years. We felt that providing them with new winter clothes was the best decision that our team made.   

In the first week of February 2023, HCC staff Laxmi, Dinesh, Shristi, and HCC youth Koshish and HCC president Saraswati Tamang traveled through five schools in Benighat, Rorang  Dhading. 

1. Beldada Basic School
2. Maharudra Basic School
3. Richok Irang Basic School
4. Tinkanya Bageshwori School
5. Bhumisthan Basic School

During this trip, the HCC team distributed winter clothes that included pairs of warm school tracksuits, t-shirts, school shoes, socks, mufflers, caps, and handkerchiefs.The schools and families of the supported students were grateful for the support and expressed how it would positively affect the students’ lives. 

This positive impact on the lives of these students would not have been possible without your sponsors and donors. All the credit goes to you all. Thank you so much for supporting Himalayan Children’s Charities.  

If you want to help support our outreach in Benighat, and beyond, donate today!

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This report from Lower Dhading was prepared and written by HCC student, Rina.

On June 30th, we went on a trip to Lower Dhading. The purpose of our trip was to visit and provide necessary things for the students, which was supported by HCC. All together there were five of us: Dinesh, DP, Mun Maya, Arya and me.

On the day of our visit, we all gathered in Khushi Ghar at five-thirty in the morning. We had packed up packages and bags with school supplies, as well as personal care items. Once they were arranged into the exterior seat of the car, we began our journey to Dhading.

On the way to Dhading, we had several different funny and interesting talks with each other. During our discussions, we also enjoyed the mesmerizing sceneries of mountains, hills and paddy fields. Around 8AM, we stopped near Khaja Ghar for breakfast, which consisted of paratha, boiled eggs, chana, and coffee for breakfast. As soon as we finished, we headed towards Baireni.

Our first meeting place was at Success Academy School in Baireni, Dhading. The students supported by HCC had all gathered there, with huge smiles across their faces; they were incredibly happy to see us. This made us feel warmly welcomed. Later on, we met with the students one by one asking them about their school, family, as well as their life in general. The questions were asked  Mun Maya and Dinesh, Arya noted down every different detail of the students, DP handed out the different bags and packages, and I was assigned the role of the photographer. Each student was given 6,000 NRS. This amount of money will aid them in buying basic necessities. Additionally we questioned some newer students, which would also be provided with scholarships, school supplies and personal care items.

When we finished our meeting with the students at Birene, we began our journey to Dhading Besi. On the way, we stopped by a hotel for lunch. The food there was incredibly delicious, especially the soup that consisted of local chicken; that was our favorite! After lunch, we continued traveling to Dhading Besi. Also on the way, we picked up the father of five Magar kids that are supported by HCC. These children go to the Advanced Academy School, and stay in a school hostel. The father and his children were reunited after a couple months, so he ended up joining us on our voyage to spend some time with his very own. 

Our second meeting destination was at Advanced Academy School, where the father’s kids study. Once again, we were happily welcomed. Similarly to the Success School, there we also met up with the students individually, where they were asked about their learning, and their well-being. We then distributed bags/packages, along with NRS 6000/ thousand to each student, just like at the other school. Scholarships were also given out to several deserving students, whom were also new.

We all had light snacks on the way back home to Kathmandu, which we arrived at around seven at night.

All together, we met forty-seven students that consisted of both new and old ones. The children seemed very pleased and thankful for being provided with such scholarships.

Overall, the trip was amazing. As for Arya and me, this was a new one.  It was very refreshing, for us, to be able to help children in need of a more prominent future. We hope to do this again very soon!

Rina Bhandari

If you want to help support our outreach in Dhading, and beyond, donate today!

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All 292 students received new uniforms. Uniforms are required and many students end up wearing very tattered and dirty clothes to school to fulfill the requirement. The two new uniforms each child received will make it easier to clean or repair their uniforms.

We provided stationery items such as paper, packs of pencils and colored pencils, pens, a pencil case, erasers, sketch books, and rulers to 194 students to help in their studies and academic performance. 

Additionally, we distributed personal hygiene items such as soap, hair oil, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair comb, vaseline cream, nail cutter, etc to 194 students. 

We helped educated them on the benefits and importance of good personal hygiene in preventing children from picking up or spreading germs and infectious diseases.

Each child received the stationary and personal care packed in new backpacks for them to carry to school.

There is a lot of work to be done to help this community, and all the schools and families of the supported students who received the support were grateful and said that the support of the organization will make a positive impact in the students lives. 

Other stories about the students and families in Benighat:

One Child at a Time

Benighat Update From Mun Maya

Benighat Food Distribution Saves Lives

If you want to help support our outreach in Benighat, and beyond, donate today!

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For the last seven years, Himalayan Children’s Charities has been supporting students and families in rural Nepal. What began as educational support for children orphaned by the 2015 earthquakes, has evolved into dynamic outreach programs that include wifi towers, computer labs, anti-human trafficking awareness, menstrual hygiene classes and food support for a neglected and marginalized segment of the Nepali population. We have cultivated a network of humanitarians, local government and school officials who alert us to dire need in these areas and communities. It was through this network that we learned of the critical need for food in Benighat, Dhading at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020. This community, which is composed of mostly Chepang and Magar families, suffers from widespread poverty, food insecurity, lack of running water and sanitation. The five schools we are supporting to improve opportunities need everything from books to toilets; and even then, they are limited to grade 5 by geography. The nearest upper level school is two hours away. 

In January 2021, after this introduction to the Benighat community, HCC graduate and HCC-Nepal executive director, Mun Maya Rawal read an article in a local paper about mounting suicide rates in rural areas of Nepal. The article sighted a family from the Magar community in Benighat who had lost their mother to suicide and their father was suffering from a debilitating alcohol addiction. The children were fending for themselves, and the eldest daughter, only 12, has been caring for her younger siblings, ages 10, 8, and 3 year old twins for the last year. These 5 children were living in squalor, surviving on the one meal a day provided by the school.

Right away, HCC was able to provide warm clothing, school supplies and much needed food support for the children. And in May of 2022 we received permission from the father to move the children. To ensure their safety and care, we enrolled them in an English-Medium boarding school in Dhading Besi, that we have been working with since 2016. In this new environment, we are already seeing the children prosper. Not having adult care for over a year left the children malnourished; they had head lice and their basic hygiene had suffered. 

As residents of the hostel school, they have their own beds, 3 meals a day and the personal care all children deserve. This is a wonderful change of circumstance for these 5 children that have been through so much and lived in such dire conditions. There are 295 more children in Benighat that are also in need of help. Poverty and circumstance makes them vulnerable to early drop out, child labor, child marriage, and human trafficking. They need clean water, basic hygiene and food support. By investing in their education and well-being, we are investing in the next generation of Nepal.

If you want to help support our outreach in Benighat, and beyond, donate today!

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This month of September was fun. This month we mainly focused on clearing our house and surroundings. For that, we did a lot of fun activities like painting our 2 rooms, garden walls and our kitchen. We bought new flowers and planted them in the flower pots and garden. We all did it together and it was enjoyable as well as tiring. Our senior brother Ram was there to guide and help us.

Some of us went on a trip for hiking. We went there together with directors, my uncle and our senior Mun Maya sister. There we enjoyed walking, taking pictures. We stayed in the resort and there we did swimming, went to the beach and enjoyed singing and dancing. 

About my studies, we are attending colleges and it will probably be closed within 10 days for Dashain vacation. In college we attend classes as we are going to have our first exams of grade 12. I’m nervous as well as excited for that. After college I revise notes and take help from my senior brother and sister. Along with that I am fulfilling all my duties and responsibilities in Khushi Ghar.

To help support Tulsi and all the students in HCC’s programs, DONATE today!

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Benighat, Dhading, Nepal

In Nepal, the second wave of COVID-19 has affected people of all ages severely. With a higher rate of infections and death among parents and caregivers, many children have been left orphaned.

Considering this growing concern, HCC has been working closely with the local authorities in Benighat, Rorang in Dhading district to plan for relief packages.

Benighat is a rural municipality that spans 29.17 square kilometers (11.26 sq miles), and most residents are employed in the farming and fishing industries, which have been hit hard by the pandemic.

On the 27th of June 2021, HCC’s dedicated staff members Mun Maya, Dinesh Raj and Dp Aryal, with support from the local government in Dhading, provided immediate relief packages that included a sacks of rice, salt, sugar, beans, lentils, cooking oil, soybeans, etc.

HCC is working diligently to supplement efforts made by the local government, to prepare caregivers in case of another outbreak.

Our local partner FUNKids Nepal aided in distribution of  packages to the families in the presence of the local government. HCC is committed to continuing support, based on the local government standard guidelines.

We would like to thank all our donors,  supporters and partners for their donations and effort to support HCC in bringing aid to the people of Benighat.  Your donations really make a difference for the families in our community.

Report filed by Mun Maya Rawal

Want to contribute to help these needy families? Donate today!

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Due to limited internet access in remote villages the students have returned to Khushi Ghar to insure they don’t fall behind in their studies. 

For some of the students, this was their first time spending time with their family. We asked them to reflect on these experiences:

Tashi:

I finished my final exam and I came to Khushi Ghar for my summer vacation and my mom came to Khushi Ghar to take me to my village. I went to Kohlpur where I met every family members and I was really happy and excited. My village Kohlpur lies in the Terai part of the region. It is a very hot place. I had difficulties in accommodating with the weather. It was my first time going out of the Kathmandu valley with my very own family. It took me one and a half-day to reach there. I went to my sister’s place there.

I stayed for about three months in Kohlpur. Every morning I woke up at seven and had my breakfast and then I would study fo

r an hour. I would also help my sister in cooking. At ten o’clock we would have lunch. After lunch, I would do the dishes. Though I had my online classes regularly I only got a chance to join the class for a few days due to lack of internet connection.

I spent three months with my family and I got to know them better. It was my first time that I spent this long time with my family and I got to know and learn about my village and my family struggle in their day to day activities. Despite this, I also had a great time watching movies together, helping them in household chores, and helping in the field. I learned how to cook but yet I am not perfect. At this time I got to know and learn about village life better and also came to know about the difficulties people face in villages.

It was a long vacation for me. therefore, I had a lot of leisure time. So most of the time I slept, chit-chatted with my brothers helped my family in the field, and played indoor games like ludos. Besides, I  often helped my mother in doing the dishes, washing, and cleaning the house. 

Since it was a very long vacation, I missed my friends, brothers, sisters, aunt, and uncle at HCC. So I often used to call HCC and talk to everyone. It felt good to talk to them. Realizing how badly I had missed HCC and also since I was not able to take online classes as there was no internet service at my sister’s place, Dinesh’s (should just be Dinesh)  uncle came to take me. I was filled with happiness that I was finally coming to Khushi Ghar. It took me two days to reach Kathmandu. On the first night, I stayed at Dang as uncle had work there. Then the next day we drove to Kathmandu and I was finally at Khushi Ghar.

I’m very happy to be here again. I have started taking online classes. I shared about my experience in the village with the HCC family.

Rina:

The Novel Coronavirus has been spreading in the whole world like a wildfire. Day by day the number of people dying from this virus has been increasing. So the countries were forced to impose lockdown.

So far, we believe that the only medicine of this virus is maintaining social distance and avoiding social contacts. So I visited my family. We were three of us at home (my mother, younger sister, and me). My two older sisters are already married. We didn’t move out of the house often except in case of emergency cases like buying vegetables and grocery stuff. We avoided social contacts, we did our best to stay at home and we utilized time wisely.

Before visiting my family, I had attended the “Happiness Course” of “Art of Living”. I had learned different ways of breathing techniques that would help me in my health condition, concentration, and overall for succeeding in anything I do. But we had to give our hundred percent to what we would do. So every morning, I would wake up at six and do the various breathing techniques and Surya Namaskar for an hour. Then I would do concentration yoga and study for at least one hour. After this, I would go for tea and help my mom in household works. I would also help my sister in her studies. Besides these, we spent time playing Ludo (I think this is Parcheesi and it might be good to mention it that way)  , watching movies, and chatting with our friends and relatives through social media. We also utilized our time sharing our life experiences. I shared about my life at HCC with my family and they’re very happy for me because I am getting such a beautiful opportunity to build up my career. My mother talked about our past life. I had a very bad childhood story. I was deeply saddened when I heard how difficult it was for my mother to raise four kids. The positive aspect of the story of my underprivileged childhood as I was once again filled with the hope to do something better in the future.

I stayed with my family for about a month. I really enjoyed being with them. I am happy because I got a chance to learn about my history and now I am filled with a strong determination to become a successful person in the future by achieving my goals.

Suman:

After my final term examination of grade 9, I visited my village in Malekhu, Dhading. I went there with my mom. As soon as I went there the government declared a lockdown in the whole country due to coronavirus. I had to stay there for around one and a half months. During this time I learned lots of things. I went to my birthplace and I met with all the family members and got their blessing then I went to visit all the places around my village and the memorable moment was the time when I went to get the berries in the top hill with my friends. I climbed the tree and got almost half of the small bag. Then I got all the barley, millet, and buffalo ghee. Then In the early morning, I returned to Malekhu taking all the berries, millet, barley, and I learned to work with all the traditional technologies. Here in Kathmandu, we used to grind in an electric grinder but in Malekhu I learned to grind in dhiki as well as in janto. I learned to cook all the vegetables, I learned the way of cooking in a traditional cooking stove in which I had to burn the fire by blowing wood which was really tough for me in the beginning. I also grew crops and the learned way to do agriculture. In around half a month I learned lots of things in the village but still, the lockdown was not open so our school decided to start an online class which I joined after a week. There were lots of problems in the network there through which I was not able to join online class properly so I decided to come to Kathmandu during lockdown only. I woke up at sharp 4:00 A: M and came in a truck filled with wheat, around 12 at noon I reached Sukedhara, Khushi Ghar. I then was able to join my online class properly in well mannered. I spend my time playing guitar and singing.

Ambika:

After my pre-board exam, I had one month of holiday for my board examination but suddenly due to the outbreak of the COVID 19, there happened to be a lockdown. Before going to my sister’s home I had attended art of living class. I learned different kinds of breathing techniques. It was very effective and good for our health. It was different from the other way I learned. Then after a few days, I went to my sister’s home. I had taken my books along with me. During the holidays I prepared for my board exam. I used to watch reality shows as well. I love watching it. During the day, I used to read for two hours, and other times I used to do some light exercises. I used to play badminton and along with it, I used to play with my sister’s daughter. Also, I used to help my sister before her exam had been canceled. Apart from this, I had a very good time with my sister. I really enjoyed talking and sharing things with her. She taught me many things. I was more concerned with the things that I had to do in my daily life. This was my first time staying for a long time with my relatives. I learned more about my family relationship and I understood their values. I had learned life skill activities from my aunt in Khushi Ghar so I did not have to worry much about it. I was very happy as I had learned every kind of life skill activity in Khushi ghar after my SEE from my senior members and my aunt. I am very happy to be part of the HCC family. I would like to thank all my members for love, support, and for helping me become a strong and empowered girl.

Donate today to help support our efforts to keep our students safe and healthy!

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