Dear friends,

According to the Nepalese media over 2000 Nepalese leave the country daily in order to work in Malaysia, Israel, Afghanistan and the Golf States. All of them hope to return home after a few years in order to build themselves a new existence in the native country with the money that they have saved up. The Government however focuses more on exporting their citizens because they bring foreign currency into the country rather than then helping these exhausted men to find work at home. On the other hand the extremely high prices make life in Nepal more difficult and their savings are comparatively so small that they are not enough to feed their families. That is why most of them have to go abroad again in order to earn money as cheap workers in often unworthy conditions. Thereby they are the ones who make it possible for at least their families to have a slightly better life and for their children to go to school.

Whilst in remote regions of the Himalayas there is a lack of staple food, the capital is developing into a chaotic, loud and dangerous metropolis in which crime is growing. The Nepalese who used to be so friendly are now rude and brutal. Inspired by the neighbouring country, India, groups of youths do not hesitate to rape girls several times and then disfigure their faces with acid. Children are still used as workers and the trade of girls and women to the Emirates, India and Africa thrives as never before. The police do now and again arrest the men responsible and their co-perpetrators but such criminals are not afraid of being arrested because they know too well that the prisons are overcrowded and they will not be imprisoned for long.

Nowadays, the Nepalese know that their children have to have a good education in order for them later to have a better life than their parents. That is why the business with schools has become the most prosperous business in the valley of Kathmandu: an immense number of private schools are springing up like mushrooms. This new trustful middle class orientate themselves on the new school buildings and their high fees in order to choose the best institute for their children. The higher the fees, the more convinced the parents are of the quality of the education that their little ones will enjoy at the school. Thereby, the level at Nepalese schools and universities is extremely low in comparison to foreign countries. The tuition methods remain medieval and the teachers are not qualified and do not have the necessary general knowledge which is so important for this profession. In addition to that, Nepal has probably set a world record with its 80 official public holidays and if one adds the normal school holidays to that, one can imagine that the teaching profession does not really generate much creativity.
Our work in the slums of Kathmandu continues. In Banshigat SUSHMA alphabetized a new wave of nomad children whose parents want to settle down and we have registered them for the new school year beginning in May at the nearby state school. The necessary school fees and uniforms are also paid for by the "Kinderhilfe Nepal" because their parents can only nourish their families with effort through waste recycling or begging.

Since it often happens that the men leave their families, the women from the slum of Banshigat have to rely on our kindergarten in order to be able to go to work. For this reason we have also played a large part in establishing a second kindergarten in Thapathali. A private Nepalese donator provided a plastic tent to make the crèche and the staff and we took care of everything for the sound running of the day-care center: toys, books, colouring pencils, towels, bins etc. We even had to buy clothes for the little ones. Because they arrived in the mornings very dirty in the kindergarten, they are now first showered and dressed with clean clothes. In the evenings they go home with their own dirty clothes. We have already spent too much money on clothes, which were no longer of use within a week and we hope that the children and their parents will this way slowly learn to recognize the difference between dirtiness and cleanliness.

Strangely we were unable to get to know the Nepalese donator, but we welcome it very much that not only WE give help because in the meantime many Nepalese are financially well off and they should also do their share. The main thing for us is that the kindergarten runs well and we see to that. Daily, around 300 children from the Thapathali slums and 100 from Banshigat receive our broth, which is enriched with vitamins and minerals, and drinking water, which is delivered several times a week by lorries to the communities. Now the road is being built on the banks of the Bagmati River on the edge of the slums and all decrepit latrines in the Thapathali settlement have been destroyed. Therefore we had to build toilets with plastic sheets and bamboo which can also be used as a shower so that a minimum of hygiene is retained. We continue to pay for small and larger operations for the children. One girl got a new heart valve in February. The most spectacular operation however was carried out on a 13 year old boy: he broke his leg when he was still very young and was not treated properly. Therefore his legs grew with a difference in length of 10 cm and he limped badly. After several painful operations his legs are now the same length. Even if such treatments are unaffordable for most Nepalese, there are by all means good doctors and surgeons in the Himalayan state.

A lot could be changed for the better in this country if politicians would agree to carry out quite simple reforms. However, they rather think about fighting their little ego battles in order to get into power and do not bother at all about a better life for their fellow citizens. The corruption ruins all the institutions in the country and even seems to have infiltrated the genes of the nation, so that unfortunately the corruption appears quite normal for the Nepalese population.

We continue our work with the poorest unperturbed and keep our distance from such circles who do their best to ignore us anyway. Humbleness, discretion and unfailing assertiveness remain the most important requirements for the success of an organization like ours in Nepal and that is why our input is the most effective. Many thanks to all of you who support us so faithfully.
Kind wishes

Yours sincerely
Elisabeth Montet