The Himalayan valleys of Nepal are home to more than sixty ethnic groups of a remarkable diversity. Among them are the Magars, Gurungs, Tamangs, Shepang, Bothia, Thakali, Rais and Sherpas.The difficulties of everyday life force many families from these Nepalese valleys and mountains to emigrate to the poorer neighbourhoods of Katmandu, the capital. But what they find there is far from the dream life they had expected.In 2011, accompanied by Santosh Poudel, who leads the Khushi association, an ICRA team went to the village of Shepang, nested on a beautiful rural mountainside, less than 100 kilometers from the bustling Nepalese capital. The warm welcome we received from these poor villagers will stay forever in our hearts and memories. The Shepangs are of Tibeto-Burman and Buddhist origin, but animism is still a very present, sometimes even dominant, force in their spiritual history. Often exploited by other castes, Newars or Indo-Nepalese, the Shepangs belong to the wider Tamang group and form one of the poorest ethnic communities in Nepal. Many try to escape their poverty by seeking their fortune in the Katmandu suburbs. In the streets of the capital, their children pick and sort household garbage, help with cremations, offer their services to pilgrims and devotees at Buddhist or Hindu temples. Drugs and prostitution are endemic, and yet there is a zest for life in every moment of the everyday chores that are the hallmark of a destiny that has drifted far away from their childhood dreams. The many stories of these Khushi children unfold in this harsh, often cruel context. They often come from mountain communities, are aged between 4 and 16, and most of them are boys. Girls only form 10% of the street kids. They are less visible than boys and, more often than not, are hired as maids, unskilled workers, or prostitutes.
Goals : Santosh Poudel has been helping street children in the Katmandu Valley. Outraged by their misery and suffering, and horrified by their living conditions, Santosh began to walk the streets with just a small bag of medical supplies to tend to these vagrant kids. Good actions are often rewarded; in this case he drew the attention of some people of good will ready to support him in his efforts. With their help, and the arrival of a number of volunteers, Santosh and his team have been able to scale up their aid and diversify their activities in order to maximize the help they bring to these confused children (medical, psychological and material support, etc.) In 2010, his expanding community became officially known as Khushi Nepal. In Nepal, Khushi means “joy”. It is an NGO whose goal is to bring smiles on the faces of disadvantaged and vulnerable street children. After the devastating 7.8 earthquake which shook Nepal on April 25, 2015, Khushi Nepal started providing emergency aid to the victims on the very next day.
People in charge : Santosh Poudel, Khushi Nepal Association.
Practical assistance : Following earthquake, the main goal of Khushi Nepal has been to help the victims and their families thanks to a number of support programs:
• installation of filter tanks — for the production of drinking water — which have served 5,000 people in eight different camps around Pashupati.
• installation of medical camps, distribution of relief parcels, clean-up of affected areas.
• construction of wood and earth houses (better adapted to earthquake-prone areas), with the participation of the local population, in Pushal.
• construction of two schools in Sindupalchowk, distribution of school supplies to the pupils.
ICRA was the first foreign organization to support Khushi in this project, with a donation in the spring of 2015 (made by the FRAT association), which allowed Khushi Nepal to start its first actions on the ground to help the numerous victims of the earthquake. ICRA’s donation was used in particular to fund the construction of semi-permanent houses in Pushal, to carry out emergency sewage works, and to deliver drinking water to sensitive places. Khushi Nepal works mainly with street children. The April earthquake compelled the association to perform other tasks, which it is intent on continuing in the future, together with its original mission. Khushi is counting on you for the continuance of our programs, particularly the material help and psychological support brought to the street children, the construction of schools, and the funding of scholarships.
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