Shades of life

Rajan Neupane is a pastor of the Greater Grace Church, which is located at Pepsi Cola town planning for more than 12 years. Its been about four years, he also have been running a children home, where about 20 children lives.

I came to know him by fluke, as my niece used to go to his church during her short stay with me. She used to tell me about this pastor, and how she feels good in his company. She used to spent more time there most of the day in all Saturdays. Sometime later I have something to give to this church and I have to look for him to handover the goods I carried with me. Then I came to know that he also runs a children home. Since last two years or so we are in constant touch. Mostly I visit his office to handover some stuff for the childrens in his children home.

Every November around the thanksgiving day, I would like to handover something that can be useful in the Children’s home. Sometimes some goods cannot be used in children home due to size matter handed over to them. Still, those things can be used in church where many people who need help are in constant contact. Its been couple of years I raise some money through the help of my Facebook friends to give to small charity to my personal charity work. This time it was books for 12 children home and I am sorry to admit it I have not been able to give this a full time due to my other engagement.

This Year, when I called him that. “I need to visit you, are you in office now ?” He knew instantly. I have something to handover. And his guess was right also this time I have some winter wears for teenage children along with the books for children s, for which my friend Kiran Khanal from Australia and Suvas Sing from Qatar have also joined hands with me for this good cause. Rajan jee requested me to visit his children home. We scheduled this the very next day in this November and then he and his wife gave me a proper tour of his children home. The place was narrow compared to the Bal Mandir I had grwon up but it was well maintained and looked a lot better place to live than the big palace I spent my life as a child.

The couple not only showed me all the rooms but also showed me some the rooms that was locked up and when I asked them, “is this for [foreign] volunteers ? They replied in unison, “no, we don't keep any volunteers here, if we keep volunteers here at this home we have to face more problems than solutions. Especially from foreign countries, we don't keep them here not even if, they would like to offer us handsome donation to run our charity for long.

From this kind hearted couple, I came to know that monitors from government also will not allow volunteers to spend nights at the children home now a days. Then I shared with them that, I don't know about the dreadful story here in Nepal except there are people who runs children home just to make bread and butter for their family members rather than needy and desperate children but in India some who runs children home do things with cruel intentions in the name of charity for needy children like I posted on my recent post, where power collide with vulnerability. He also shared his personal experience how he have stumble upon with those who runs children home just to collect donations, by providing wrong information to generous donors. People do trust him for his sincerity and honesty, therefore they send him to the children home who are about to get the donation from outside the country and then when he gives his report, the donation stops. He candidly shared his thought with me saying,  “yes its sad the children are in bad conditions in those care homes and need help but needy children should not be used to be the bread and butter for some greedy people. Its good if they don't get any donation and these children be moved to other children home run by good and kind hearted person.”

On the way to the children home he also showed me a small kitchen garden the children home have taken on lease to grow some fresh vegetables. There his wife was working with couple of teenage children. The Neupane couple also saw the opportunity to teach young children the value of hard work and taste of it, in this small effort to grow vegetables for themselves. I myself grew up in Bal Mandir and this is still one of my best memories, so I really like this small effort.

When I saw a sewing machine I could not help but share some of my own ideas regarding the machines and its more use in children home. Why not add more machines and then hire a person to make all the needed dress for the children throughout the year, so that they  can learn also how to make a simple dress along with small contribute in this work at home. And why not hire a teacher who not only can make dress but also can teach these young children how to sew a dress or stitch ?

One thing what Rajan je does not know until now is, I myself grew up in Bal Mandir and was able to finish my school and college just some people like him thought we should get this opportunity in life.

We keep reading and watching some negative news that takes place in children home and those news to grip our mind for so long but the truth is, we also have persons like Neupane couple who do this not for publicity but purely for the the personal satisfaction and helping those who are in need is what satisfy this couple. They say, they are doing this not even fear from God or to book a space in heaven well in advance.

Knowing him and his wife reminds me of Bernhard, a Swiss national  who sent me to college and now he and his team from Switzerland not only runs a children home here in Nepal but also provides education to 76 children and its growing every year.

Children home across the world are the best place where you can see the shades of life. Here you can hear the story of corruption, greedy and needy parents who will leave their child here for no apparent reason like some incurable disease, some staff who do the corruption work and won't even feel guilty of stealing the things which is meant for the desperate children in need. but most of all here is the place you can meet the person like Neupane couple or Bernhard couple who will devote their lives so that hundreds of them will get good opportunity in life to go to school and then lead a decent life later in this society.  

It really feels good to be a small contributor to their bigger vision.