The Children

Kopila Shrestha (8)

Kopila is from Nuwakot, which is on the way to Langtang, about 4 hours drive from Kathmandu. She has one sister who is still in her village.

Kopila loves to play clapping games with her friends at school and also Srijana. Any volunteer at the home will have to be prepared for hours of cross-legged clapping with Kopila and a lot of giggling!! It’s fun...and you learn lots of Nepali rhymes!! Kopila’s favourite subject at school is Nepali and although she is shy she loves to dance.

Dipesh Khadga (6)
Dipesh was a street boy in Kathmandu before he came to the home. Very little is known regarding his background but it is believed he has a father who is living in Pokhara, however he has no mother. Dipesh has no siblings.

Dipesh is quietly involved in everything...from playing volleyball with the older children to colouring with the girls or sitting quietly and practising his English with the volunteers. His favourite subject at school is English.

Chek Shrestha (7)
Chek is also from Nuwakot. Both of his parents died when he was 18 months old. He has a younger sister and a grandmother.

Chek is very independent for his age and happy to spend time by himself and can keep himself amused with games for hours. He is quiet and very reserved.

Srijana Shrestha (9)
Srijana is the second youngest girl at the home and is from a village just outside Ghorka. She has a father, a step-mother and a grandmother. Now that her father has remarried she is no longer welcome in her stepmother’s home.

Srijana has an amazing laugh that you can’t help but laugh along with! She is like a little monkey that is always jumping, crawling and climbing (mostly over the volunteers!) She loves creating things with the Lego that has been donated to the home by visitors. Her proudest piece – a ‘digital camera’!

Suttam Shrestha (8)
Like Kopila and Chek, Suttam is from Nuwakot. His mother died when he was only a month old and his father is now living in India leaving him orphaned. Suttam is very quiet and loves to play volleyball and also the drums.

Naresh (9)

Naresh is from Ghorka and there is very little known about his background. His date of birth is not known. Naresh’s mother died when he was very young and his father is now remarried and is in infrequent contact with Naresh.

Soma Lama (12)
Soma is from Sitapaila, which is 1 hour away from the Monkey Temple. Soma is Ruth’s niece. Her mother died in 2003 when Soma was six and her father has now remarried. Soma is no longer welcome in her stepmother’s home and has been left an orphan. She has an older brother who is still living in her village and is very poor and not receiving an education.

Soma is incredibly inquisitive and will sit and talk to you for hours asking endless questions. She is fascinated by oceans and the concept of the Great Barrier Reef. Her favourite subjects at school are maths and science.

Nishan Lama (12)
Nisshan is from Swyambu which is where the Monkey Temple is in Kathmandu. He has an older sister who is in another orphanage. Both of Nisshan’s parents are incapable of caring for their children. His father was paralysed 8 years ago and his mother is very sick and unable to work.

Nishan is an incredibly intelligent boy who is 2 years ahead at school. He loves maths, English and drawing. All of the children look up to Nisshan and he is amazingly kind and mature for his age.

Tulasi Bhantana (12)
Tulasi is from Ghorka. He has no siblings and his date of birth is unknown. He does not have a mother and his father has left him. Tulasi was cared for by his aunt before coming to the home.

Like all of the children, Tulasi is fascinated by anything that beeps, flashes or lights up and often volunteers have lots of cameras, mobiles and videos that do just that! Although the children are not allowed to use visitor’s cameras they are usually totally in awe of them!!

Bikram (13)

Bikram only came to the home in June 2008. He is from Ghorka. He does not have any parents, but he does have an older sister who is married and has moved away from Bikram’s village. He was living and caring for himself in a house for many months before he came to the home.

Bikram loves to play volleyball and soccer and at school he likes science. He has settled in very well and has become like an older brother to all of the children.

Milan (13)

Like Bikram, Milan only came to the home in July 2008. He is from a village near Ghorka. His father left the family many years ago and his mother cannot afford to look after her son. Milan was working as a tea-boy in Kathmandu but ran away back to his mother. She had to ask for her son to be taken into a home and become an official orphan. Milan is only in grade 2 at school despite being 13 as he had had no education until he came to live at the home. He is doing extremely well and is aiming to move up a grade next year if his grades continue to be as good as they are now. He loves learning English and playing the drums.

Asmita Lamichhani (14)
Asmita is from Ghorka. She has 3 older sisters of which 2 are married, and the other in another orphanage. Asmita does not have a mother and the girls were raised by their grandparents before they had to ask for them to be taken into the home.

Now that Asmita is older she is interested in women’s issues and rights and will ask endless questions on the topic. She is doing very well as school and her English is very good...it is also her favourite subject. She enjoys writing and is very much like a third carer to the younger children.

Nabin Bisho-Karma (14)
Nabin is from Sindhuli and does not have any parents. He has one older brother who is working in Kathmandu as a shoe repairer. Both boys were living on the streets of their village before Nabin came to the orphanage.

Nabin is a very quiet but a very affectionate boy. He does not say much and is happy to sit and watch all of the action. He applies himself at school and enjoys social studies.