It’s been a long lockdown in Nepal which is only now starting to slowly ease.
As for kids around the world, for the boys in our home lockdown has been challenging at times. On the bright side, they are lucky to have each other, to have a big garden where they can play while staying safe, and have great people looking after them. Our staff have been taking care of them more than ever: besides home schooling to ensure they would not fall behind with their education, they have organised various activities to keep them busy and stimulated.
The outdoor space is big which means that, while they have a lot of space to run and play, there is a large piece of land dedicated to growing vegetables. So, in the last few months, they have been working the land, planting seeds, plants and trees, improving their farming skills. This is a great opportunity not only to gain skills for life but also to be in touch with nature, observing and respecting its cycles.
However, they haven’t been spending all their time on chores – studying and working in the field!
They are still young and full of creativity and playfulness! These boys are highly artistic in so many ways. When I was volunteering in Nepal I saw that some of them would never get tired of drawing, while others were very good at crafting, making beautiful objects with recycled cardboard. Some of them were passionate about music (Nepalese and Indian) and loved dancing. So, in the middle of the lockdown, they had a competition where every each of them could perform and express their own talents. Such a wonderful idea to get them to share their passion and express themselves!
Last but not least, they have been playing sports. In a westerner’s eyes this may be taken for granted but from what I have seen, sports do not play an important role in Nepali education. At least not as important as in the western world. I feel sports have an essential educational function for the personal growth of an individual. This can make you understand how valuable it has been for the boys to be able to play more sports and learn its values – like being a good team player, respecting the rules, and doing your best.
To get involved with our projects in Nepal click on the link below.
