Aishworya gets a Solar Panel!
We have some very exciting news to share with you all – this year, thanks to a wonderful effort of fundraising and organisation by Flavia Arato and her friends from Italy, who volunteered with us for 5 months, we have recently been able to install a solar panel on the roof of our home!
The solar panel being set up
How it works
The panel on the roof connects to this set up on the inside of the building.
While the sun is shining the panel heats up and this produces electric power which charges a battery. The battery then stores the energy until we need it, when it is put through a transmitter to power lights in the house for a long, long time.
As everyone who has volunteered with us knows, Nepal has frequent power cuts that last for days or even weeks at a time, which can be quite difficult when you are trying to organising cooking, cleaning and caring for up to 45 children – especially in winter when it gets dark so early. The solar panel will make a huge difference to our lives and of course it is better for the environment as well – thank you to our Italian friends for this fantastic innovation!
Volunteers bring excitement, and spread the word about Aishworya
This year we’ve had some lovely volunteers.
Sophie Gulcher came from the Netherlands to spend more than 2 weeks volunteering at our home. She was very happy to be with us and it was particularly interesting for her as 25 years ago her parents had a business in Nepal – and in fact she herself was born in Kathmandu. Sophie took several children to visit a park in Kathmandu, where the children had so much fun. Thank you so much Sophie for all your days with us!
Sophie, the other volunteers, and the kids smile for the camera
We also had four students from Denmark who came to Aishworya to study our home, the children and the life we are leading together! They were Sofia Pedersen, Zarah Ottosen, Inger Marie Sorensen and Ranum Efterskole. The students interviewed Aama (Nirmala) and the children too and they are going to publish the interview in local magazines within Denmark! It is so important to us that people who come visit spread the story of our home to as many people as possible – so thank you to all of them!
At Fire & Ice eating pizza with the girls
Later in the year another group of Danish volunteers stayed with us at Aishworya – Nanna Rosgaard, Sara Sorensen, Trine Neider, Sandra Bodin and their parents brought food, juice, biscuits and clothes for winter for all the children.
They also took some of the older girls, Sani, Bhagwati, Kalpana and Dhanu to a delicious pizza restaurant in Thamel called Fire and Ice, which the girls loved!
Visit from a Doctor
Natalie, a much-loved former volunteer from Singapore, visited our home with her friends, and brought with her a doctor, also from Singapore. The doctor very kindly gave all the children a health check up and taught us many ways to deal with the more common illnesses that the children pick up.
The Doctor gives the kids a check up
Natalie, her friends and the Doctor brought us many medicines which we very much need in our regular life.
They also bought us so many new clothes, new shoes, sandals and even chocolates for the children! The visitors came to lunch at our home and learnt many things about Aishworya and the way we work, which made us feel so much appreciated and loved!
Natalie Tan and her friends from Singapore
They also bought us so many new clothes, new shoes, sandals and even chocolates for the children! The visitors came to lunch at our home and learnt many things about Aishworya and the way we work, which made us feel so much appreciated and loved!
Holy Events
It is important to us at Aishworya to make sure the children learn about our culture and traditions, so we have always taken the time to participate in all aspects of Nepali cultural traditions.
Aama and the little ones wearing the traditional dress for Shiva Day
In summer we celebrated Gai Jatra, the Cow Festival, which remembers those who have died over the last year. Because Gai Jatra is not about mourning but about celebrating that those who died will rest in peace, it is a joyful day, and the children really enjoyed it.
In February/March, towards the end of the Nepali year (which starts in April), we celebrated Maha Shivaratri, which is a Hindu festival honouring the god Shiva. It’s about overcoming darkness and ignorance, and it is celebrated through prayers and fasting.
The boys dressed up and smiling on Gai Jatra
Mothers Day and a Birthday for all
Cutting the birthday cake
We celebrated our birthday together again on the Buddha Jayanti day (Lord Buddha’s Birthday). A very Happy Birthday to all our children and we wish them a long, healthy and successful life!
Mothers Day
Aama on Mothers Day
Aama is the founder, director, and mother of Aishworya. She keeps it going, and she looks after children and staff alike. We are so grateful to her for taking in the children, and for all the work she does.
Everything we need for School
Now that the children are going to school regularly, one of our concerns is making sure they have everything they need for it. Luckily, our friends and supporters have been able to help.
Danielle with the older kids
This year Danielle Livolsi (USA) gave financial support to cover the cost of the yearly school Admissions for all the children, as well as school shoes, socks and stockings for all the children.
Helen with the ‘bananas’ (the very little children!)
Another long-standing friend of Aishworya, Helen, who runs a travel agency in New Zealand, visited us once again while on a tour to Nepal. She and her friends made some donations for the children’s new school uniforms.
Raffaella Cilvio, a regular sponsor and very lovely friend from Italy has provided school bags for all the children this year – just like she did last year.
Iris, Genna, Kathy, Shiri, Lauren and Phoebe, and their parents Bruno and Marion have been doing amazing work to help our home and the children in so many ways.
From the top left: Lauren, Genna, Kathy, Shiri, Phoebe, Ashley, Iris, Capucine
For the last few years the girls have been fundraising for our children’s home. They sell coffee and cookies donated from corporate partners; run themed costume parties for kids; and bake, decorate, and sell cakes. This time they raised enough money for the whole year’s necessary school books and stationery for all the children.
So a big THANKYOU to all of our kind and lovely friends for their support to our home – it is this regular support which, along with the one-off donations, allows us to provide our children with a good life and an education that gives them a chance for a future.
All of this help and support comes together when, at the end of the school year, the children complete their final exams, and this year they all did extremely well!
If you are interested, you can find ideas on how to help, or tips on what others have done to fundraise on our website. We would like to send our good wishes to all our supporters for their help, care and love for the children.
