STREET CHILDREN: Kathmandu, Nepal

by Eric Fairman

My own childhood has a signature that clearly enabled me to empathise with experiences I would have in Kathmandu, Nepal, some seven decades later:

Given away at birth; handed from one family to another; existing on the city streets earning a few coins running errands, helping tourists; lunch on a doorstep out of a piece of newspaper (the ubiquitous fish and chips). Sometimes sneaking in through the back door of the movie house to find shelter, warmth and sleep! Although never actually ‘Homeless’ I was in foster care; but unwelcome in the house. This behaviour attracts attention of the police and I am placed in a child ‘transit’ centre. Eventually finding refuge and safety in an NGO (non-governmental organisation) ‘home-school’ where I was fortunate in having a sponsored education, as well as finding a mentor.

Looking back on my childhood, I am continually amazed how fortunate I was in finding my ‘refuge’ within a UK Rudolf Steiner home-school – the Peredur Home-School at East Grinstead – and discovering a life-long ‘mentor’ and friend in the co-founder and head-teacher (Siegfried Rudel, a mentor he remains to this day, celebrating his 85 birthday this December 2012).

After numerous trades and occupations in my emerging years, several of which were inspired by Steiner’s philosophy, I finally became a Steiner-Waldorf teacher in 1971. That was followed by some thirty years of class teaching in schools in numerous countries, finally retiring in 2002 for a life of relaxation, following my own interests.

In January, 2010, I took myself off on a non-itinerary, two week, once in a life-time visit to Nepal. Little did I know at the time that I would be making a further seven such visits to the country within the next two years!

After a full, interesting and often exciting life, I now find myself, at the age of 73, turning the clock back, as it were, to those early days of my childhood in the UK, where support became available to me from the emerging Child Welfare Services. For in Nepal social security is a far off dream. If a child is in trouble with the police, he’ll find himself locked-up in a cell with 50 other prisoners, all adults. Imagine if you will, what could be the fate of a young boy in such a typically filthy, cramped cell. There is no ‘child centre’ to go to after release from prison. No ‘special home’ where a placement would be funded (sponsored) by your government. No bed, no food, no shelter, no love and definitely, no sponsorship, education or mentorship which turned things around for me. This is a tiny glimpse into the daily life of a Kathmandu Street Child, most of whom are boys, for the girls have been kidnapped or enticed into the child sex industry, either in Kathmandu, but more likely, taken over the border to India. The boys beg and borrow and if needs dictate, they steal.

If such a child is starving, sick or injured on the street, then there he will lie, awaiting whatever Fate decrees. There is no free health care and ‘soup kitchens’ only operate during the 5 winter months. Life is tough.

I was far from being informed and prepared for my inaugural visit to Kathmandu. I was initially overwhelmed by the sights, the sounds, the smells, the traffic, the pollution, the filth, the poverty, the temples, the beauty; it as all like nothing else I had ever experienced. By the end of each day I was exhausted from the unabated bombardment of my senses in the city centre district of Thamel. After a week, I was yearning for somewhere less hectic and was directed to the district of Boudhanath, some five kilometres east of the city centre. A hectic taxi ride took me to my new

guest house accommodation in the peaceful and restful grounds of the Shechen Monastery. There was peace. But, as it happened, new experiences awaited that would awaken the senses of the soul.

Boudhanath (Boudha for short) is the focal point in Kathmandu, if not Nepal, for the Tibetan Buddhist refugees fleeing persecution in their own country by the Chinese. Central to Boudha is the enormous white ‘Stupa’, a place of Buddhist meditation. A place of peace and deep veneration used by monks, pilgrims and enquiring tourists, such as me. But tourists attract beggars and within hours I was accosted and I parted with a few hundred rupees for oil and dried milk. My beggar was a beautiful, almond-eyed young Indian girl. Over the following week, I got to know her better and met her extended family in their nearby beggar village. Boudha Shack Village1 is a conglomeration of some hundred dwellings made simply of bamboo sticks and sheets of plastic stretched between them. It is on a parcel of land that houses Indian refugees. I found myself wishing to become involved in trying to improve their abysmal conditions. Thus return visits to Nepal became necessary.

Over the two years since then, I became involved in other social welfare activities apart from the Boudha Shack Village; including a leprosy centre; mentoring a prior child beggar/sex-worker and most recently, with the hapless ‘street boys’ of Boudhanath which is the focus of this article.

This last August, I was in my regular stomping grounds of Boudha, waiting to meet with a Nepali friend who had been delayed. Not wishing to wander off in case I missed the appointment, I sat down on some steps in a side street and watched the world go by. But these steps which were also ‘home’ to a group of ‘street boys’ – and here was a tourist who was offering himself as a sacrificial lamb (well, perhaps ‘old goat’ would be more appropriate!) to be begged from. To cut a long story short, we began to communicate as best as we could, seeing that there was the inevitable language barrier. It seemed somehow strange that I, an ex-teacher, could only mumble two or three Nepali words, whilst the boys, none of whom had been to school, could keep communication avenues open with their basic English vocabulary! These dirty, uncouth boys, ranging from age 7 through to 15, who under normal daily circumstances I would never have really met, turned out to be a feisty group of youngsters. I agreed to meet them later that evening and buy them some food; just a ‘one-off’ gesture, of course, then they would go their way and I would go mine. But I believe the ‘gods’ had other ideas – and there are a lot of gods in the Hindu country of Nepal, along with Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, etc.

Over the three remaining weeks of my August visit, I met the boys on a regular twice daily basis. They were hard to avoid really, as they slept on the side-walk immediately below my current guest house window. A hot breakfast and supper at a local street eatery was the main focus of our meetings, but other needs arose that required attending to: Haircuts to eliminate lice – soon the boys sported crew-cuts, much to their delight; Visits to the doctor for minor ailments; creams and plasters for grazes and cuts. All was administered in full-view of passers by, several would stand and gawp at the show.

A bond developed between myself and the group of boys, whose numbers varied between 5 to 15 or so. The largest group appearing for a meal numbered 16. With the evolving mutual friendship, the boys dispensed with my name and instead begun to refer to me as ‘papa’ with a capital ‘P’. I eventually became accustomed to shouts of ‘Papa’ being yelled from the other side of the street, or regular local store keepers also using this honoury title!

With my stay quickly coming to a conclusion, I became concerned for the boys, seeing that I had inadvertently set-up a daily routine which they had begun to rely on. What would happen when I departed? With this in mind, I contacted a Nepali friend, Lalit Shahi, who I had become acquainted

with earlier in the year. I invited him to come over to Boudha and see at first hand the Indian beggar village (Boudha Shack Village) and also meet ‘my’ Street Boys’. Typically, Lalit accepted the invite enthusiastically and, on the morning of my last day in Nepal (1 September 2012), we met at Boudha. First we visited the beggar to the village and then to meet with whichever boys were around for breakfast.

Lalit was at a definite advantage language wise, being able to converse freely with the boys and hear about their lives on the streets. After their meal, the boys headed off, whilst Lalit and I went to a local coffee shop for a chat. We agreed that something had to be done to help the boys; they needed a ‘home’. Lalit already ran a home for orphans, victims of natural disaster and conflict and children who are forced to live in prison with their incarcerated parent(s). It seemed a natural step to expand this to include a ‘street children project’. Lalit was insistent that the project should bear my name, but I was adverse to this idea, finding it rather pretentious and preferring to remain anonymous as far as practicably possible. We eventually agreed that the project could bear the name the boys had bestowed upon me, ’Papa’, and as we wanted to create a home for them, the name ‘Papa’s Home’ project’ was agreed upon.

We looked at what it would cost for having a home for five boys, based on Lalit’s current orphanage budget. I agreed to seek the necessary finance. Lalit would then continue to care for the boys each day, as I had done, on the streets and in addition would actively look for suitable premises. We shook hands and departed our ways. The meeting had been all of 30 minutes. ‘Papa’s Home’ project was born on 1st September, 2012.

By 7th September, we had our first ‘street boy’ (Gokul age 7) in residence temporarily in the orphanage. By the 8th September, an Australian sponsor had been found for him.

For the next weeks, Lalit painstakingly sought premises for ‘Papa’s Home’, but house owners were not happy with the idea of leasing their properties to us for use by a group of street children. We had tentatively expanded our intended home intake from 5 to 15, so that we could offer secure accommodation to the entire group. Perhaps this was the worry for property owners.

By the end of October it became apparent that we were getting nowhere and the boys were still on the street. During this time Lalit had been able to assess the needs of the boys and the challenges that they would bring into any ‘home’, especially the older members. Thus we reluctantly agreed to shelve the idea of a large house and in the interim look at more feasible possibilities, reverting to our original plan to house up to ‘5’ boys. Lalit again came up with an idea. His own organisation, Volunteer Foundation Nepal,2 was not receiving as many requests for accommodating orphaned or other children as he had anticipated and the ‘VFN Orphanage’ had four immediate vacancies, one of which would be filled by Gokul.

It is of course our policy that we only ‘offer’ accommodation and care. The decision whether to accept or not, rests entirely with the individual child. They are not pressurised. Many of them prefer the absolute freedom of living in the street. But all children taken into care can receive an education and that is also attractive for some street children. In practise the children are free to come into the home, but are also free to leave again if they wish. No restriction is placed upon them in that way.

Lalit also revealed that the large building that he had on lease had in fact, a third floor with four rooms, none of which were utilized. With financial backing/donations, we could do what renovation is needed, acquire basic furnishings and make space for 10 more Street Children. This would cost us in the region of 150,000 Nepalee Rupees (about ₤1000).

Lalit is not familiar with Rudolf Steiner and his philosophy, beyond what I have explained and discussed with him. But he is open and sympathetic to what I wish to bring to the VFN organisation, having no problem at all with the ‘Papa’s Home’ ethos that I have adopted. It is stated like this:

The Ethos of ‘Papa’s Home’ arises from the educational and spiritual philosophies of Rudolf Steiner (Dr) (1861 – 1925) which recognises and encompasses an acceptance of the uniqueness of each individual.

Accept the child with Reverence.Educate them with Love

Send them forth in Freedom Rudolf Steiner (Dr)

This ‘ethos’ has now also been adopted by Lalit as an indication of his interest and enthusiasm for learning more of Steiner and his philosophy, especially as to how it relates to the development of the child.

We do not use the word ‘Home’ in a flippant manner. We have every intention of offering our children a real ‘home’ experience. Lalit’s wife and daughter are an integral part of the ‘Papa’s Home’ family. A typical day commences at 6am with the children being woken. A warm drink accompanies them as they do any revision for school that day. A cooked family breakfast follows at 8am, with each meal receiving a communal blessing. After personal tasks are completed, it is off to the nearby school for a 9am start. School fees have to be paid for each child. Each child is supplied with a snack and school finishes at 3am, when it is then but a short walk home for a warm meal and a rest. Homework is then attended to under the supervision of a staff member and/or volunteers. Playtime follows, with ‘free play’, ball games, bicycle riding, etc. Those children not wishing to be outside, entertain themselves drawing, playing with table games, reading, etc. We also have communal activities such as traditional dance, singing together, acting, story telling and the recitation/reading of poems that often leads to the creation of poetry by the children. The celebration of festivals is of course central to the child’s life and that of VFN in general. Nepal has an abundance of festivals. After an evening meal around 7pm, any outstanding homework is attended to before general relaxation time and then bed by 9pm.

We place immense importance of the creation of a loving, caring and peaceful environment for the children. It is the manifestation of Love through deeds of care and real interest in all that we do towards the children that can have the greatest benefit, to help awaken in each child that creative force that will hopefully not only change their lives, but also bring benefit to the wider community.

Of course, it is all well and good having good intentions and bright ideas, but it all has to be financed. A kind family in Queensland, Australia immediately stepped forward to 'sponsor' Gokul so that his future is secure. A generous lady from Switzerland has sponsored Deepu, our second street child. Sponsorship is currently $780 (approximately ₤500) for a whole year.

How is this amount accounted for? Sponsorship gives a child an opportunity to grow in a very family centred environment, ensuring overall child development, both physical and spiritual. Included in sponsorship are the following:

Food and secure shelter. Clothing, including school uniforms. All educational expenses. Education materials.

Proper medical care and therapy (where needed) Combined study room and library facility. Extra curricular activities such as sports, music, arts etc. Educational tours at least once a year. Celebration of traditional Nepali festivals.

Sponsorships of course go a long was towards maintaining a secure future for ‘Papa's Home – VFN’ children, but there are additional costs that cannot be covered in this manner, such as expansion to accommodate more children on the third floor and to pay all co-workers a sensible stipend. Lalit works for nothing and his wife Dhanusha, accepts a modest monthly stipend of 5000 Nepali Rupees (₤45). We do not have any long-term donors on whom we can depend to fund the monthly out-goings.

I too forego any remuneration, funding all my travel/insurance costs from my own meagre resources. Anyone donating to ‘Papa’s Home at VFN’ can be assured that 100% of their gift is used for the direct benefit of the children in our care. Frequently, this is supplemented with our own modest contributions.

Those wishing to sponsor a particular child are welcome to develop a long distance relationship with their child. We do have (spasmodic) internet connection, totally dependent on Nepal’s notoriously unreliable power supply!

We also welcome short and long-term volunteers from both within Nepal and from abroad. They should be comfortable using English as the language of communication.

At the time of writing, five street children have come to live in the home. They join some sixteen other orphans and children in a family environment. Lalit decided to rename his orphan’s home ‘Papa’s Home’ and make space within it for the ‘Papa’s Home’ project for the street children.

Dhanyabad! Thankyou! From ‘Papa’s Home at VFN’

Eric Fairman lives in Cochem, Germany.

Endnotes

1. Boudha Shack Village, see www.bsvp.webs.com

2. ‘Volunteer Foundation Nepal’ (VFN), www.vfnvolunteer.org, founded in 2010 by Lalit Shahi, is a service oriented, non-profit making, non-governmental and non-political organization, registered in District Administration Office (Reg.No. 3295), District Development Committee and is affiliated with Social Welfare Council (Aff.No. 32125). VFN provides emergency shelter home-care for orphans, victims of natural disaster, and children of conflict and children who were forced to live with their parents in prison. Street children have now been included amongst those children who this NGO will care for.HOW TO DONATE TO PAPA’S HOME (Volunteer Foundation Nepal)

There are several ways whereby those wishing to support Papa’s Home can make a financial contribution.

International Bank Transfer – expensive

LAXMI BankAccount Name: Volunteer Foundation NepalAccount No: 0009104 0002477

SWIFT Code: LXBLNPKABank: Laxmi BankAddress: Teku, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Please notify eric.fairman@gmail.com of any deposit and its purpose (eg Papa’s Home or Sponsorship of a specific child)

Deposit into a local account:

Australia:

Commonwealth BankChatswood, NSWBSB 06 2138Acct name: Eric Keith FairmanAcct number: 1000805

Deposits into this account should stipulate the purpose, eg ‘Papa’s Home’, etc, as it is also receives donations for other projects in Nepal. Please notify eric.fairman@gmail.com of any deposit.

United Kingdom

Barclays BankLaunceston, CornwallBSB 20-50-40Acct name: Eric Keith Fairman – Nepal Acct number: 83156478

Deposits into this account should stipulate the purpose, eg ‘Papa’s Home’, as it is also receives donations for other projects in Nepal. Please notify eric.fairman@gmail.com of any deposit.

Western Union: for smaller amounts, generally less expensive than an international bank transfer.

Send direct to LALIT BAHADUR SHAHI (with notification of amount and purpose of donation to eric.fairman@gmail.com)

Notify Lalit of the collection (MTCN) number via email: info@vfnvolunteer.org

PAYPAL – perhaps the cheapest option

Donations can be sent to PayPal via email account: papas.home@ymail.comPlease stipulate purpose of donation (eg Papa’s Home)

Whichever method is used, we acknowledge receipt of your gift.

Or direct donation to: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8QfGd

Records of all donations are scrupulously kept and are open to inspection