After 3 little baby boys joined the Camp Hope family, a beautiful baby girl was born in the camp like the beginning of everything that comes in this world blossoming with new hopes, dreams and promises. The Camp hope welcomes the baby angel as a new member who deserves equal essentials like other babies in the world.
Adoring the moment with newly born baby girl inside the Camp Hope
A new camper with her mom ( Kalpana), dad( Dorje Sherpa ) and her brother
Brochure Handover to the campers: The CEO of the Jagdamba Press Mr. Lochan came to the Camp hope to handover the Brochures of Our Dream Village. The Dwarika’s Foundation is profoundly thankful to Mr. Kunda Dixit for printing 400 pieces of brochures free of cost that was produced and created by the volunteers with hope and love. Someone once said that ‘if you can Dream it you can do it’ so this is the time our campers are dreaming and our foundation believes that one day with the help of our partners and other charitable organization we will be able to execute ‘Our Dream Village’ project. The hopes in the young campers were overflowing out of their heart through the smile in their lips while reading the Brochure of ‘Our Dream Village’.
In presence of Mrs. Sangita Shrestha Einhaus, The representative of Jagadamba Press Mr. Lochan handing over the brochure to the teamleader (Kale Sherpa) of the Camp Hope
Campers excited to see their dream village brochure
Keeping up the traditional dance as the first choice, Camp Hope kids gave their dance performance as the token of appreciation at one of the donor Mrs. Bina Pradhan’s Son’s wedding. Simran and the group were delighted to add Nepalese style of entertainment in the party and similarly other teen campers also performed fantastically. These little campers added Nepalese ambiance to the party and inspired everyone to come up to the floor to make some moves.
Simran , Nimalamu and their friends costumed in Traditional Nepalese dress for the Nepalese dance
Performance by Doma, Kalpana along with the group of Camp Hope girls
Camp Hope kids rousing everyone to make some moves in the Wedding Party
As the days passes by, our Camp Hope ladies learned some skillful works like knitting woolen clothings, weaving carpet, Sewing clothes, thread spinning and many others. The skillful hands of our campers were busy in knitting colorful woolen clothing in the late winter in March which could somehow make them occupied and help to earn some money. It’s great pleasure to see all these ladies putting their effort to develop the skill and deliver the possible outcome which will apparently make them independent in the society.
Skillful ladies in Camp Hope busy in knitting woolen clothing
Efficient and artful hands weaving carpet
Another day for the Friday activity starts in the Lonh Hiti of the Dwarika’s Hotel for the children of the Camp Hope. Sean Navin Einhaus suggested an inspiring movie: He Named Me Malala to the children which was very inspirational. The movie is about a girl named Malala Yousafzai who has spoken out for the rights and education of the girls in the Pakistan. Malala was terrorized to death for fighting against the orthodox of not educating girls in the Pakistan however she hold on to her mission for the girl’s education.
After watching one and half hour long movie, Sangita discussed the understanding of the movie with the children so the children came up with different views that could help society in developing new dimension regarding social issues. The children expressed their thoughts on the social issues like alcoholism in parents which could affect the life of their children and society. The children also discussed the issue of discrimination on caste system and how people are discriminated on being lower class. Similarly, they discussed the issue on discriminated handicapped people and how they are treated in different phase of their life for being physically disabled.
After hour’s long discussion, all the children developed the strong thought of fighting against the issues like alcoholism, discrimination on the basis of caste system or physical disabilities. Eventually the children has taken all these issues very seriously and they came up with the provoked thought to strive against society for the right of the people to live without any discrimination, torture and isolation. All these children were deeply inspired by the step Malala took in order to stand up for the girls education therefore they also wants to make the first move to the society to eradicate the social issues which could inspire another person to step up for their rights.
Kids Queuing up for the snacks before the movie starts!
Sangita taking feedback from the children of the Camp Hope after finishing the movie
Yummy lunch time for the kids after watching the movie “He named me Malala”
Marianne Grosspietsch from the Shanti Sewa Griha is such an inspirational persona for our Camp Hope members as she has been so generous in sharing different income generating skills time and again. This time our campers are learning how to make envelope, folders and bags from the old newspapers which could be very innovative earning skill in one hand and truly sustainable practice of reusing paper in another hand. Our campers have already produced few numbers of handmade envelopes to start with and this will be their first income generating produce in the Camp Hope.
Marianne educating the Campers on how to make envelope out of old newspapers
Our Camp Hope residents busy in making envelopes out of old newspapers
Mr. Narayal Dhakal from Eco Himal along with Mr. Mario and the Portuguese team from the partner Obricado Portugal and Mr. D B Basnet (Guru Jee) from the Dwarika’s Foundation visited to Duguna Gadi Village in Tatopani VDC, Sindhupalchowk for the updates on the roads, building and water supply as well as to examine the poles put in by geologists to control the ground movement.
The purpose of the visit of Eco Himal to the village was to conduct the survey to analyze whether or not the area is suitable to plan the Bio Gas Plant. The villagers of the Duguna Gadi will be highly advantaged if the Bio Gas plant could be implemented on the site in future. This could be one of the sustainable initiative for the 1240 villagers who will be resettled in the “Our Dream Village” and it will be economical too.
Mr. Mario joined the visit to the Duguna village and he donated to the “Our Dream Village” project the amount equivalent to build one house which is highly appreciated and the Dwarika’s foundation is very grateful to him for his immense generosity.
Guru jee along with the executive director of Eco Himal Mr.Narayan Dhakal and the team walking through the only access to the Duguna Gadi Village, Sindhupalchowk
Mr. Mario getting welcomed by one of the villager in Tatopani VDC
The Portuguese group: Angela , Francisca , Pedro and Lorenzo catching up with the villagers of TatopanI VDC
Villagers in Duguna already started to cultivate their land
The Dwarika’s Foundation is undoubtedly very grateful to Mr. Barry Evans for his enduring support for our Camp Hope project. Furthermore to two laptops, we have purchased 6 Desktop computers, inverters and solar batteries to run the computer class for our children every day who never has been introduced to computers in their earlier student life. In today’s globalized world, we hardly think about our life without the use of computers so on that note the Dwarika’s foundation is infinitely beholden to Mr. Barry Evans for his kindest heart to provide the donation for the computers and other essentials to make our children computer literate and hopefully IT professionals in the coming future.
The IT professionals of Dwarika’s Hotel Mr. Saurav Shrestha and Mr. Sangay Lama are running computer class every day for the children to learn it speedily as there are collage going students too in the camp who need to learn computer knowledge in order to do their day to day assignments in collage.
Students of Camp Hope keen in using computers while in Computer class
Solar batteries and inverters to run the computer class during load shedding
IT staff of the Dwarika’s Hotel Mr. Saurav Shrestha with our little Camper Pema along with other students during computer class
Children grouped in learning while in computer class
Thousands living in open spaces around the valley and its outskirts were affected by the sudden storm on 28th March. The high wind blew away many of the tents from the camp formed after the earthquake and in the same time, the Camp Hope which is made of tents and bamboo was affected to some extent with resulting the damages of one study room tent and 2 residents tent. After the storm passed, residents made sure that everybody at the Camp Hope is safe. The residents at the Camp Hope strengthen the ropes of each tent, of each of their ” houses” once the storm was stopped. This storm reminded all of us the importance of the project “Our Dream Village “ to rebuild their villages, their homes where they will be safe and sound .
Camper running inside the Camp Hope while there was massive storm
Brief dust storm affected the Camp Hope on 28th March
On the occasion of 60th birthday of Sangita, all the children of the Camp Hope were invited for the celebration at the Dwarika’s Hotel which commenced really cheerful and auspicious. The children came dressed up to wish Sangita for her healthy, happy and prosperous life with the wrapped gifts and khada. The kids were shown the movie “Kung Fu Panda” on the same day which was full of fun and refreshing for them. Sangita was very happy to read hand written birthday wishes and handmade cards which was totally touching and overwhelming.
Little girl wishing birthday to Sangita by putting khadaSangita unwrapping the gift presented by the Camp Hope children
Sangita unwrapping the gift presented by the Camp Hope children
Make a wish time with the little ones!
Laughing, loving and posing (Ram, Sangita and Laxman)
The Camp Hope kids watching Kung Fu Panda after birthday lunch
Camp Hope family picture with Sangita, Rene Vijay and the team Obrigado Portugal
( Partner of the Dwarika’s Foundation for the project “Our Dream Village”)
On the sunny Saturday afternoon of 14th April, Sangita along with the Dwarika’s Hotel staffs made to the Camp Hope for an Ice-cream party. The ice-cream party was sponsored by the Dwarika’s Hotel staff as a present to Sangita on her 60th birthday.
All the children as well as other residents were very happy to get chilled out for a while with the unlimited scoop of ice-cream served by Sangita and the staffs of the Dwarika’s Hotel.
Sangita along with the Dwarika’s Hotel team busy in scooping ICECREAM for the campers
Kids queued up!
The Dwarika’s Hotel staffs serving ice-cream to the Camp Hope kids
Happy faces of Ram and his friend
The Dwarika’s Foundation is tremendously grateful to Mr. Jeff Greenwald for his time and again love and care for our Camp Hope children. Mr. Greenwald visited Camp on 15th April to add some more knowledge to the library of the camp. He donated few Titanic books to the Camp’s library in order to help our children in erasing their curiosity about Titanic ship. This could be very educational booster to the children of the camp to understand the external knowledge apart from regular text books.
Mr. Jeff Greenwald giving the brief story of the Titanic Ship to the children
Kids curious to see the Titanic book!
Mr. Heiko Grosspietsch from Shanti Sewa Griha helping little children in grabbing fruits
Seasonal Fruit ready to serve!
Before the new session for 2073 starts, all the children of the camp were united with their last year books to choose useful ones for this year. Sangita along with volunteers from the Obrigado Portugal (Francisca and Angela) and Guru spend their day in selecting usable books and afterwards distributed approximately 1000 new books for 72 school going students. The fund for the book was donated by Luis and Aurora from Smile for the World. The Dwarika’s Foundation as well as our camp children are very thankful to Luis and Aurora for their kind support.
Senior kids trying to sort out all the old books to use for the new session, Angela from Obrigado Portugal guiding children in selecting useful books
All the 72 children getting new books before the new session starts!
Sangita helping kids while distributing the new text books before the new session starts
On the first day of new session at the Samata School where all our Camp kids go, Kids doing Pity while assembly!
On the birthday of Sangita and Rene Vijay, Chinese dinner program was organized for the Camp Hope residents at the Camp Hope. All the children as well as residents at the Camp were very happy to be part of the birthday dinner prepared by the chefs of the Dwarika’s with variety of Chinese cuisine.
Sangita helping kids to have their plate served
Kids queued up for yummy Chinese dinner!
Pema’s happy face with a plate of Chinese dinner
During the 2 weeks school holidays, our Camp Hope children visited different organization and respected people in order to understand where they want to lead their career in future. All the students above grade 5 visited to different chosen sectors to understand their career development in those sectors.
Some of them visited ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development), Khumaltar Lalitpur and met Dr. David James Molden( Director General) of the ICIMOD Nepal.
The children also visited IDEA Nepal to get career counseling which was led by the Head of the mission, Ms. Sheri Meyerhoffer. Similarly, they went to United World Trade Centre, Tripureshwor to see the training phase of the contestants of Miss Nepal 2016 where they performed Catwalk afterwards.
This is the beginning of career orientation process to all these children because they will be getting more opportunities to visit other sectors like banks, airlines and many more.
Furba Sherpa (Resident of the Camp Hope), intern at the ICIMOD giving brief description of the ICIMOD to the children of the Camp Hope
Director General of ICIMOD Nepal, Dr. David James Molden talking to the children
Curious Children watching attentively while Dr. Molden was explaining about the mountains
Camp Hope children with Dr. Molden and Ms. Furba Sherpa in a group picture
Ms. Furba Sherpa from Sindhupalchowk is a victim of the earthquake 2015 and is one of the resident in the Camp Hope. She has been working as an intern in the ICIMOD Nepal where the children of Camp went to understand career opportunities in the non-governmental organization like ICIMOD.
Dr. Molden gave the concept of the mountain development and the ideas of how ICIMOD has been actively participating in different mountain development projects, improving the livelihood of the people living in mountain areas. This kind of field visit for our Camp Hope Children could be very helpful in understanding different issues related to the environment and sustainability and understand their sectors of career. The Dwarika’s Foundation is very grateful to Dr. Molden for giving the Camp Hope children this opportunity to Visit ICIMOD and talk to him in person.
On 13th April 2016, Mrs. Sangita visited to Duguna Gadi village in Tatopani VDC, Sindhupalchowk with Mr. Felix and Ms. Francisca for the discussion on building of school for the children in the villages, checking the site for constructing the school with the Duguna Gadi Village Development Committee and the school committee.
The villagers gave very warm welcome to Mr. Felix on his visit and he assured the villagers that he with the Rotary Club Borken, Lions Club Borken and Soroptimist International Borken Germany will help to build school in the village so that all the children can go to school for their good education.
The number of children has doubled after the earthquake in Duguna Village because the schools of other villages were destroyed; they have managed to teach students in temporary shelter which need to be replaced soon by permanent school with all the necessities of the students as the existing school is only up to grade 5.
The Dwarika’s Foundation as well as all the villagers are very thankful to Mr. Felix for thinking about our children and their education.
Mr. Felix. Getting warm welcome from the children
Mrs. Sangita, Mr. Felix and Ms. Francisca talking about the building of the school in the village to the school village committee and the villagers
Mrs. Sangita carried SECOND BABY (Kevin) born at the Camp Hope in her blissful hands, now Kevin’s family has moved to Sindhupalchowk from the CAMP HOPE
What could be more beautiful than this picture: Lovely villager boy sleeping on Francisca’s (Volunteer from Obrigado Portugal) lap
Finally the access bridge to Duguna and other villages is made and the road access is opened to the villages up to Yarmasing by the effort of the Duguna Gadi Village Development Committee with the help of their municipality and partners Dwarika’s Foundation and Obrigado Portugal. The bridge is accessible to the villages and the reconstructed roads connect to all the villages.
With the opening of the roadway to the villages, the Project “Our Dream Village” starts now with new hopes and dreams to build 222 houses in 14 villages which will give shelter to approximately 1200 people who are at the moment resettled in the Camp Hope and the villages in temporary houses.
Today, there is hope in the eyes of the Camp Hope residents and other villagers who lost so much, despite of everything what had happened to their houses and land they have started all over again and very much waiting to begin to rebuild their villages and houses.
Birdseye view of the repaired bridge and reconstructed road access
Roadways been constructed up to the Yarmasing village
Difficult roadways above the hills
Team from Kathmandu reached the Duguna Gadi Village by roadway: The Project is started now with the opening of the road to the villages
Roadways above the hills
On 1st of May, a team of beautiful hearts headed to the Duguna Village, Sindhupalchowk district where Sangita from the Dwarika’s Foundation with Francisca from Obrigado Portugal , Mr. Forest:a friend and supporter of the Camp Hope, Luis and Aurora from Smile for the world and Mr. Heiko from Shanti Sewa Griha.
During the last visit, Bridge was half way in rebuilding however this time 4 wheeler vehicle easily crossed the Bhotekoshi river by the mode of the only bridge that can access to the village. This time rebuild road took half of the team to the Yarmasing village. The team also monitored the lines put in different places by the geologists of engineers without borders to observe the movement of the land.
Thanks’ to Luis and Aurora from Smiles for the world who distributed school supplies in Duguna, the only school in the locality of the villages of OUR DREAM VILLAGE project.
The foundation is extremely beholden to Mr. Forest for his generosity as always for bringing lots of clothing and linens for our people from the United States of America. Without the support of all our partners, we would not be able to make it this far and we hope for good support to make the project “Our Dream Village” come true.
Ladies at the village ready to welcome to the team from Kathmandu with traditional Khada
Children gathered to collect their school supplies
Temporary village which is imagined to get replaced by the project “Our Dream Village” in near future
Weekend always bring something beautiful and exciting for the kids of the Camp Hope. All the kids have started their new session for 2016 and the celebration for the class toppers 2015 is yet to rejoice.
All invited children are very hard working in their studies which made them topper in their class with very good percentage. Rewards always motivates individuals so the day was truly rewarding itself as they enjoyed swimming, experienced gym and even received prizes which will definitely work as a booster for them to study even better. The evening was followed up by yummy dinner which was quite cherishing for all our kids at the camp.
Sangita and Pedro hosting dinner for the 2015 grade topper kids of Camp Hope
A bunch of girls enjoying sunny afternoon in swimming pool with Francisca
Kids warming up at the Das Gym
Children’s Name tag with their grade and percentage set on the dinner table
Topper kids dinning with Sangita and Sam