At Aishworya not all of the children are orphans. Many have been abandoned, trafficked, or have parents who are simply unable to care for them due to complicated circumstances. We strive to help as many children as possible, although our current home can only support a maximum of 40 children, and do our best to help track down families and actively reunite children with their families. Therefore the exact number of children at the orphanage can fluctuate, although we do our best to keep this page maintained and up to date.
Please see our “Success Stories” page to read about the children that have been successfully reunited with their families and loved ones.
Grace Tamang
Female, Age: 5
School level: Upper Kindergarten
Grace’s father was killed by Maoists and her mother died giving birth to her second child, Grace’s sister, who also died at birth. She is a beautiful girl who is always smiling and happy. She likes people carrying her in their arms, she loves playing and singing and she has a very sweet voice. She is really clever and happy.
Tek/Dorge Bahadur Ghale (Jack)
Male, Age: 16
School level: Class 5
Jack’s father is dead and his mother is missing. He and his younger brother Andy (below) were found wandering the streets in Kathmandu. They were two of the original orphans Nirmala took in when she opened this orphanage. He is very smart and likes to help the younger children, especially Andy.
Jack once ran away but came back the next day because he couldn’t leave Andy behind.
He loves singing. His favorite movie is Charlie’s Angels and he wants to join the Army when he has completed class 10 at school.
Indra Raj Ghale (Andy)
Male, Age 9
School level: Class 2
Andy is a bit physically small for his age. However we hope he will grow a bit more soon. He does not like school very much, however he is very smart and he is good at English.
His aim is to become a Nepali film Actor (like Nikhil Upreti) and his favorite movie is King Kong.
Andy is extremely ticklish and loves to play with his big brother Jack.
Durga Bahadur Tamang
Male, Age 15
School level: Class 5
Both of Durga’s parents are dead. He used to work as a child laborer, carrying heavy bags of rocks from the riverside.
He was brought by the community police to the orphanage. He is very happy after coming to the orphanage, and very good in school and extra activities. His favorite movie is Rush Hour.
Durga has begun an apprenticeship with a local carpenter to help him to learn a trade, so he attends school in the mornings and works in the workshop in the afternoons. He is really enjoying learning about carpentry and says it makes him feel useful to learn these skills that will help him to find a job once he leaves school.
Yogesh Aryal
Male, Age 14
School level: Class 3
Birth date: 29th September 1997
Yogesh’s mother has heart disease, and was for a long time too weak to work or look after Yogesh and his younger brother, Bipin (see the “Success Stories” page for Bipin’s story). His father was an alcoholic who used to beat the boys and their mother, until he disappeared three years ago.
Yogesh and Bipin came to Aishworya in 2006, but in 2009 their mother received vital treatment and surgery, and was given a farming grant to begin working again. She is much stronger and healthier now, and Bipin has moved back home to live with her, but Yogesh will remain with us for a little longer, until his mother is able to care for both children properly. Yogesh is very happy and he prefers Nepali to English and loves watching Nepali movies. During the festivals Yogesh goes home to visit his mother for a few weeks every year.
Buddhi Man Tamang
Male, Age 15
School level: Class 5
Birth date – 5th January 1996
Buddhi’s father is dead and his mother works as a servant. Buddhi is a happy boy who loves singing and dancing, although he can often be cheeky too! He is very good in school, especially at Maths, which is his favourite subject and along with Durga and Marich, he has begun an apprenticeship with a local carpenter to help him to learn a trade. He attends school in the mornings and works in the workshop in the afternoons. He is really enjoying learning about carpentry and says it makes him feel useful to learn these skills that will help him to find a job once he leaves school.
Marich Man Tamang
Male, Age 15
School level: Class 5
Marich’s father is in jail in the middle east and his mother is missing. He is a very kind and hardworking boy. He likes to sing and loves to help in the kitchen. He is a very good cook and works very hard in school.
Along with Durga and Buddhi, he has begun an apprenticeship with a local carpenter to help him to learn a trade. He attends school in the mornings and works in the workshop in the afternoons. He is really enjoying learning about carpentry and says it makes him feel useful to learn these skills that will help him to find a job once he leaves school.
He loves to play football and race his younger brother, Karish (below).
Karish Man Tamang
Male, Age 10
School level: Class 3
Karish is a shy, quiet boy who loves Maths and English.
He is very polite and wants to be a pilot when he grows up.
He loves playing football and looks up to his big brother Marich.
Moti Lal Tamang
Male, Age 12
School level: Class 3
Moti’s father is missing and his mother is very sick and cannot look after him and his sister Soni (below). He has been living with us for the last 3 years. He is very quiet, thoughtful and polite, and is very clever. He is fascinated by machines and technology, and often fixes the radio when it breaks.
Soni Maya Tamang
Female, Age 9
School level: Class 2
Soni is very quiet, like her brother, and loves to play with teddy bears.
She is quite shy and doesn’t like to dance or sing in front of other people, although she loves to listen to music.
She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
Dhanu Maya Tamang
Female, Age 13
School level: Class 4
Dhanu is a very beautiful girl. Her father and mother have both died.
She came to the orphanage with the help of a social worker. She always helps to do the chores around the orphanage, especially washing the clothes and sweeping. She also helps to wash the babies every morning. She loves dancing and singing. She wants to become a teacher or a beautician when she grows up.
Dilip Tamang
Male, Age 9
School level: Class 2
Dilip was found wandering alone in the streets. He does not know what happened to his parents so we have very little information about him. He is a very quiet boy but is good in school and loves drawing. He is very talented at Art and English, and has beautiful handwriting. His favorite movie is Spiderman. In the future he dreams about becoming an artist or a shopkeeper.
Sujita Shahi
Female, Age 13
School level: Class 4
Sujita’s father was HIV positive and died of a drug overdose and mother disappeared shortly afterwards. Sujita has tested negative for HIV.
Sujita and her brother were left with their grandmother, but the grandmother would only keep her brother, as he will inherit everything, so Sujita was brought to us.
She is a happy girl who loves to sing and dance. She loves small children and in the future she would like to become a nurse.
Paris Tamang
Female, Age 4
School level: Upper Kindergarten
Paris’s mother died during the birth and her father was already dead. Paris is a little girl with a big smile.
When she first came to the orphanage she did not say anything, but now she chats to everyone and runs around laughing.
She loves to be cuddled and to play with toys. She is very outgoing and isn’t afraid of anything.
Biru Bahadur Tamang
Male, Age 13School level: Class 3
Biru was 8 years old when he and his younger sister Sani (below) witnessed their mother die.
Their father had been missing for several months and they were alone in the house when their mother went into labour and died during childbirth. After several hours some neighbours found them and took them to their uncle’s house.
They lived with their uncle for a while, but he was bitten by a snake and became too sick to take care of them.
Biru is a very happy boy, who likes to learn and is always asking questions. He giggles at everything and is afraid of dinosaurs.
Sani Tamang
Female, Age 8
School level: Class 3
Sani was only 4 when she saw her mother die. She is a very thin girl, and often gets sick, but she is slowly becoming more outgoing and less shy. She always tries very hard at school, although she struggles a lot, and in her spare time she likes to read and write. She wants to become a doctor when she grows up.
Satish Chaudhari
Male, Age 12
School level: Class 3
Satish’s father is dead and his mother works as a house maid. She got the job as a live-in servant but was not allowed to bring any children with her. In order to keep the job she had to take Satish to an orphanage.
He is a very kind and hardworking boy. He likes to sing and is very smart. Satish visits his mother during the festivals.
Yamraj Dangi
Male, Age 15School level: Class 5
Yamraj is from the western side of Nepal, which is a heavily Maoist area and often very dangerous.
He had been wandering from village to village for months, living from day to day on handouts and the kindness of strangers. He often went hungry and only weighed 35 kilos when he first arrived at the orphanage.
He came to Aishworya with the help of a social worker in February 2008. He likes to watch movies and sing Nepali songs.
Raoul Thapa
Male, Age 7
School level: Class 1
Raoul is a very smart boy who is at the top of his class in English and Nepali. He is really outgoing and adores going to school. He has an amazing smile and is very ticklish and loves Spiderman more than anything else.
Shanjana Tamang (Kali)
Female, Age 5
School level: Upper Kindergarten
Kali was found in Dolakha by some people who had been trekking there in December 2007. They saw her all alone and asked about her in the local villages. No one knew who she was or where her parents were, so with the help of the social welfare office she was brought to the orphanage. She is very fun loving and afraid of mice.
Bhagwati Karki
Female, Age 12
School level: Class 3
Bhagwati was found wandering the streets and was brought to the orphanage by the police. We know very little about her background. She is a very beautiful girl who loves to paint her nails and wear make-up. She is very good at Maths but struggles with English.
Dhirisha Kunwar
Female, Age 12
School Level: Class 6
Drisha was brought to us in April 2008, as her father died while working in Saudi Arabia and her mother was no longer able to look after her. Drisha has several brothers and sisters who are all staying with different aunts and uncles, but no one was able to take her in. One of her uncles is sponsoring her to stay at Aishworya, and pays for her school fees and food. Drisha is a very bright girl who loves school and has made friends quickly.
Lai-Young Tamang
Male, Age: 12
School Level: Class 3
Lai-young came to us in May 2008. He told us that a man had come to his village and told his mother that he would take him to a good school and make sure he got a good education. The man brought him to Kathmandu, told him to wait on the street for a minute, and then disappeared and abandoned him in the street. He stood in the street crying until someone eventually took him to the police, who then brought him to us. He knows his village is called “Deorali”, but there are several villages of that name, and he doesn’t know which region or district his village was in. The police are still investigating this, but it may be a long time before they can help to relocate his family.
Nima Sherpa
Female, Age: 14School Level: Class 6
Nima and her sister Dolma (below) came to Aishworya in May 2008. Her mother died of cancer, and her father disappeared (she thinks he went back to their village). An aunt was looking after Nima and her sister, but then she left them alone to go to a monastery. After a few weeks of looking after themselves the landlord told them they had to leave, as the rent hadn’t been paid. Some members of the YCL (Young Communist League) found them during a door-to-door campaign during the election and took them in. They notified the police, and the girls were brought here. Nima is very smart and loves to read and write. She has done very well at school and has settled in well with the other children.
Nima has recently suffered from some serious medical problems including chest infections, bronchitis, and asthma, and has been hospitalised on several occasions. She is currently stable but may have some long-term breathing issues.
Dolma Sherpa
Female, Age: 11
School Level: Class 3
This is Dolma, Nima’s younger sister. She is a very shy and quiet girl, and struggles with her school work. She always tries hard at school, but has some learning difficulties and needs extra help with her homework. She is very close to her older sister, but has gradually become good friends with the other children and learned to trust them and our staff.
Sudiksha Tamang
Female, Age: 8
School Level: Class 1
Sudhiksha was brought to us by her mother in May 2009. We do not know what has happened to her father, but her mother was in a very difficult financial situation, and without our help, she would have been forced to live with Sudhiksha in the streets.
Anjana Tamang
Female, Age: 5
School Level:
Anjana was brought to us in August 2009 by her mother. Her father had disappeared and her mother was struggling to pay her rent, and work and look after Anjana.
Sanip Tamang
Male, Age: 7
School Level:
Sanip was found by Pramila, our assistant director, wandering alone in Maharajgunj, the district close to Aishworya, in August 2009. He was brought back to our home and registered with the local police and social services. The police are conducting an ongoing investigation to try to locate his parents.
These four sisters (Asmita, Sushmita, Kalpana and Sunita) were brought to us in November 2009. They lived just outside of Kathmandu, and their father is believed to have killed someone. He ran away to avoid being captured, and their mother was arrested under suspicion of helping him. Their mother has a lawyer now, who is trying to get her released so that she can look after her daughters. The individual profiles of these girls are listed below.
Asmita
Female, Age: 3
Asmita is the youngest of the four sisters.
Susmita
Female, Age: 5
Susmita is the second youngest of the four sisters.
Kalpana
Female, Age: 7
Kalpana is the second oldest of the four sisters.
There are 3 more sisters at Aishworya, called Rashmi (16), Roshani (15) and xxxxx, however their father has requested that we do not publish any photographs of them on our website.