Stichting Veldwerk at Nepal

Secretariaat: Stichting Veldwerk Postbus 163 1850 AD Heiloo The Netherlands

Tel:+31 (0)72-5339585 veldwerk@wlink.com.np IBAN nr. NL51ABNA0543703266 Attn. Stichting Veldwerk, p/a Egmond binnen Bank: ABN-Amro 543703266

Our visit to Hamro Niwas, October 28 2003.

Jos, Christa, Tamara and me (Nelle), gladly accepted when Rene Veldt asked us to visit Hamro Niwas. René picked us up at Thamel in Kathmandu. As soon as we arrived at Hamro Niwas the children opened the gate and they all ran out to welcome us with a friendly "Namaste". Later René showed us around the house. The dormitories, of the boys as well as the girls, looked neat and tidy. Now Jos understood the work that was involved in putting together the beds when they moved out of Thamel to this place. But it looks absolutely great. René's room and the "doctor's room" were clean and tidy as well. We moved on to the kitchen. One of the Nepali women was already busy fixing diner. We also met the Didi; she is the mother figure in the house. With the help of Dutch and Belgian volunteers some of the children were making their homework. Others were playing games or playing with each other. The little ones (especially Boenoe) are cuddled and picked up a lot by everyone. How can you resist, they are so cute.


I should know some of their names, I know, but I can't remember which face belongs to which name. I remember Rakesh and Lal, Manju, Surendra, Parvati, and more of those beautiful names. We joined them in a game of memory. One of the older boys is a real chess phenomenon and wins almost all the games. One of the little ones climbed on my lap and tried to sing a Dutch song (oh denneboom en sinterklaas kapoentje). Very touching! A minute later Didi ringed the bell. Out of every corner the children ran into the living room and sat down crossed legged on the mats. We spoke with some of the volunteers about their work at Hamro Niwas and the Mother Theresa institute in Kathmandu. We gave the children the bracelets we bought earlier. After that they prayed. All the children, the little ones too, started praying in Namaste (gassho) seat. This took about ten minutes. Even when we made pictures and video shootings, they proceeded as if in "trance". Really disciplined! After prayer, they went into the kitchen to get their food, some went a second time! When they got back from the kitchen it was our turn. Of course we had to eat with our right hand, just like the children. The left hand is considered to be the sanitarian hand in Nepal. That wasn't easy, especially for me, because I'm left handed. But I managed, although in the end my food got cold.


After diner we took the dishes into the kitchen. Now it was time for the employees to eat. When René entered the room it showed that the children are very fond of him. Every one of them wanted to play or talk to him. We stayed a little while longer to join them and to sing songs. Jos got invited to play a game of chess, which he lost. Even "arm wrestling" with all the boys didn't give him any victory. At eight o'clock it was time to go home. The children waved us goodbye and finally we left…....with a very nice impression of it all.

Nelle Storken