Dear friends,

by the end of November 2013 elections took place in Nepal, although they were overshadowed by acts of violence rivalling parties. They tried everything to reach their goal: they used children for election campaigns as well as hectoring and corruption. The Maoists lost votes, as the conservative Nepali Congress won the most votes closely ahead of the Communist Party. The Members of Parliament have to form a government and to devise the constitution.

Only 25% of the 30 million Nepalese people had the right to vote as the majority of inhabitants is not registered. Only two-thirds eligible voters actually voted: although most of them are analphabets, the citizens of Nepal do know that the politicians cannot keep their unrealistic promises. The corruption of the middle-class and the upper-class became an inherent part of the country and takes away any hope of the poor to achieve a better life. For half of the Nepalese, who have less than 1 $ per day and try to take care of their family, politicians belong to another species. 50% of the population does not even have a toilet; half of the children is undernourished.

That's why we focused on the major goals of our work: taking care of the children in the slums with nourishment to enable growth and explaining the necessity of hygiene to their mothers. We mainly work in three slums and only act in other ones where necessary. Our health-point in the kindergarten of Banshigatslum became one of the main meeting points in the area. As soon as the children learned the alphabet, they go to school and we pay the school fee. Comparing the slums of Banshigat and Thapathali, we can see the difference our work can do: after 5 years the people of Banshigat are a lot healthier, have more dignity and appreciate our work as the 1500 inhabitants of the Thapathalislum only slowly evolve and sometimes show their anger if anything does not go the way they want. This was shown when we distributed winter jackets for the children: many parents did not write their children's names on the list, therefore we did not have enough jackets and the crowed got anxious. This was one of the moments, where the situation seems to get out of control…

One week later at a medical check-up for the children, policemen turned up and to our surprise they told us they were protecting us. Maybe it was because of a robbery of a German tourist in Kathmandu a few days earlier. We also to our work in the camp of the nomadic people of the Maute, where - although they only spend half a year in Kathmandu, it is very clean and they appreciate our support. The distribution of medicine for the children of Thapathalislum a few days later was very quietly. Women in the area begin to confide in our work and appreciate the support. As in Banshigat we distribute the mash with vitamins and minerals to the children and provide 1500 people with drinking water. We also could arrange an education meeting for female hygiene. We gave them medicine against mycosis and the advice to let their men take part in the treatment.

Sushma is teaching in Banshigat, Muna takes care of the health of the slum children and Sija founded a youth club in Banshigat. Girls and boys came up with a show and performed it in front of 250 elderly people in the only old people's home in Kathmandu. The old people's home does not correlate with the hygiene standards in European ones, but it really is a home for the elderly people. It is placed in an old temple, the inhabitnas are well cared and the can be outside all day, if they want and still can. After the show, children gave sweets and fruits to the elderly people, where we also put an 100 rupee in. They were very happy and some of them danced with the children at the end.

Altogether there 700 children we take care of by nourishing, teaching and medical caring. About 3000 adults also benefit from our work, especially by the drinking water. We found out, that taking these people and their problems seriously is the most important thing for re-establishing their dignity. This is only possible thanks to your financial support.

Many thanks to all of you! We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year 2014!

Best regards

Warmest regards
Elisabeth Montet