Saturday, November 12 was the happiest day yet in the 10-year history of Ama Ghar! We celebrated both our 10th anniversary and the Grand Opening of our beautiful new home in the meadows of Godavari.
Dick and I came at this time specifically to help our friend Bonnie get ready for the event - and it was a logistical miracle to pull this off, particularly in a Third World Country... the intention was that this was a day to celebrate our children, their friends, and all the Nepali people, from dignitaries to local brick carriers, who helped to make our new home possible.
There was a children's tent, featuring face painting, Legos, Play Doh and lots of silly games and prizes, so the children invited their school friends and children from other homes around the Valley. The program itself was short on speeches and long on fun - the children sang, danced and entertained while they honored Ama Tika Basnet, our inspiration, as well as Bonnie Auntie and the Ama Ghar staff.
There were 400 people in attendance, laughing and clapping along with the program and then enjoying a generous buffet of Nepali foods and chai. After the luncheon, some people drifted off to their homes while others stayed late into the date, dancing, drumming and singing in the beautiful tent.
A special thanks to our friends who helped to fund the building of the suttal, the traditional Nepali stage which was the background for the festivities. Plaques with their names have been affixed to the suttal, and we'll send photos to each of you when we get home.
I, of course, was teary-eyed much of the time, as it's astonishing to see these beautiful children perform with poise and grace - their joy and pride on their home was palpable. At the end of the day, I watched in amazement as the teenagers danced - a mixture of every caste and class of Nepali... dark, light, boys, girls, Brahmins and untouchables... the new Nepal, the new world...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Back Home in Kathmandu
After an 8-month hiatus, I’m back to my blog… because we want to communicate with our friends about our current stay at Ama Ghar. Such an exciting time here, as it’s the 10th anniversary of Ama Ghar and the grand opening celebration of our new Ama Ghar home. Not to mention the fact that we have six new children – which changes the dynamic of our family, but always in positive ways.
Our two new little ones, Pooja and Ang Maya, make everyone smile constantly – little bundles of energy and love. Pooja is 5-1/2 – her father was killed while working in Dubai and her mother, as a widow, has no rights. She lives in a remote village and is a virtual slave to her mother-in-law; she has three children and cannot feed them, so they’re malnourished… they go to school in rags and are teased and tormented by the other children. So she made the painful decision to give Pooja, her youngest, a chance at a better life by turning her in to Social Welfare, who placed her with us.
Ang Maya, who is 4-1/2, was found on a trail high in the Himalayas by trekkers – she had been abandoned by her family, probably because they couldn’t feed her. A Sherpa family took her in for a while, but she, too, was given to Social Welfare – and then to Ama Ghar.
These two beautiful little girls have changed within weeks from malnourished and terrified to silly, lively bundles of energy. It never fails to amaze me what food and love can do for a child – these girls are snuggled and hugged by everyone in the house, and they eat incessantly – which is amazing because they only weight 30-40 pounds each. But they are adorable, beautiful and smart – they’re already speaking some English, and going to school in kindergarten and first grade respectively.
Since we arrived here, in addition to spending quality time with the kids, we have helped with preparations for our big opening program on Saturday. I had a terrific work crew of 10-11 year old girls (and Dick Uncle) painting directional signs and welcome signs for the party – we’ve also cleaned, dusted, made name tags, weeded and watered – and managed to have plenty of fun as well… the kids love to play “long tennis” (why they call it this is a mystery) and card games with us. So far, Dick has lost heavily in Black Jack to Jenuka, a 12-year-old… I think he’s plotting his revenge.
Yesterday afternoon, Dick and I were sitting in the sun, taking our chai break and looking at the snowy Himalayas against the blue sky – talking about what a miracle it is that you can get on a plane in one place and get off again half way around the world. It’s a privilege, but also a necessity for us, as these people have become our family over the last 8 years… what a wonderful thing that a place can be at once so exotic and so familiar.
Our two new little ones, Pooja and Ang Maya, make everyone smile constantly – little bundles of energy and love. Pooja is 5-1/2 – her father was killed while working in Dubai and her mother, as a widow, has no rights. She lives in a remote village and is a virtual slave to her mother-in-law; she has three children and cannot feed them, so they’re malnourished… they go to school in rags and are teased and tormented by the other children. So she made the painful decision to give Pooja, her youngest, a chance at a better life by turning her in to Social Welfare, who placed her with us.
Ang Maya, who is 4-1/2, was found on a trail high in the Himalayas by trekkers – she had been abandoned by her family, probably because they couldn’t feed her. A Sherpa family took her in for a while, but she, too, was given to Social Welfare – and then to Ama Ghar.
These two beautiful little girls have changed within weeks from malnourished and terrified to silly, lively bundles of energy. It never fails to amaze me what food and love can do for a child – these girls are snuggled and hugged by everyone in the house, and they eat incessantly – which is amazing because they only weight 30-40 pounds each. But they are adorable, beautiful and smart – they’re already speaking some English, and going to school in kindergarten and first grade respectively.
Since we arrived here, in addition to spending quality time with the kids, we have helped with preparations for our big opening program on Saturday. I had a terrific work crew of 10-11 year old girls (and Dick Uncle) painting directional signs and welcome signs for the party – we’ve also cleaned, dusted, made name tags, weeded and watered – and managed to have plenty of fun as well… the kids love to play “long tennis” (why they call it this is a mystery) and card games with us. So far, Dick has lost heavily in Black Jack to Jenuka, a 12-year-old… I think he’s plotting his revenge.
Yesterday afternoon, Dick and I were sitting in the sun, taking our chai break and looking at the snowy Himalayas against the blue sky – talking about what a miracle it is that you can get on a plane in one place and get off again half way around the world. It’s a privilege, but also a necessity for us, as these people have become our family over the last 8 years… what a wonderful thing that a place can be at once so exotic and so familiar.
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