Sarita Magar Treatment Update

Sarita Magar had problem call "hydrocephalus". It is also call "water on the brain". Doctor successfully managed to take the water which was down to stomach and removed. She is doing much better now. She said she is getting better and doesnot have any pain. It has been more than a month she has been hospital and she is being looked after by her brother day and night. MySmallHelp, Nepal will be helping in covering the cost of the hospital. She thanked MSH and MSH member Pramila. 

A project for single mother Bindu

Bindu Balami is 34 years old single mother of 2 children Nabin and Nabina Balami.  Nabin is 14 years old and Nabina is 9. They both are currently being sponsored by MSH. Bindu used to work as labour mostly in house construction. She hardly earns Rs. 200 (1.68p) a day which is just enough to eat for a family. Bindu finds the labour work extremely difficult as there isn't especial dress provided for the work which often results hurting her. She even finds difficulty getting the earn money on time as contractor often makes reason to avoid paying on time. 

Bindu wanted to set up her own small business by opening grocery and eatery shop.  She approached us with the idea. We were very positive of her imitation to do something of her own which eventually helps the whole family. The money she earns from her business will help to secure her and children future. The  overall project will cost around £435. 

Challenge

Bindu being a single mother with 2 children, she finds difficulty raising her children. Without MySmallHelp help she could not afford to send her children to school. Bindu being uneducated and unskill, the only work she can do is a labour work in construction field. After MSH help, she slowly build up more confident in herself and can find her children and family being more stable. 

With her same confidence she wanted to open an grocery and eatery shop. So she searched for number of days to locate a right location for a shop. Finally she managed to find a small space nearby school where her daughter goes.  

After MSH Nepal and her imitative, Bindu now own a small  grocery and eatery shop. She manage to make £4 to £5 everyday. As winter is approaching, she has plans to sell tea. MSH Nepal is very proud of her and we will keep supporting her in the near future so that one day she will become self sufficient to look after her children.   

Sarita Magar Medical Treatment

As we had recently updated about Sarita's achievement, we are in deep sorrow to know that Sarita got fainted. Sarita mention about headache so her father provided basic medicine. After few days of rest headache problem got very severe so she was than rush to hospital near by. Doctor didn't cared the critical condition going through than decided to take to Kanti Children Hospital (government). She went several MRI scan where doctor found a water spot on her brain. According to the doctor, the condition is not very serious which could be remove by medicine. If the condition doesnot get improved that she was to go through brain surgery to remove the water spot. She will be very costly. 

MySmallHelp, Nepal managed to raise some fund for Sarita and we have provided some financial help for her. We are very much looking forward for her soon recovery. 

She is one of the most inelegant and decent girl we have. She is currently promoted to grade 4. She secured first position in her class. Her mother died of similar condition and she is being looked after by her older sister.  

Sarita's father Udhav talking with MySmallHelp, Nepal, Raju at MSH office

Sarita's father Udhav showing her wife who died 4 years back

Sarmila's update and progress

Sarmila is developing into a very mature and interesting young lady. She has successfully completed her Grade 8 (District Level Exam) and now promoted to Grade 9. She will be giving SLC (School Leaving Certificate) exam coming year which means she will finish her schooling and will be joining college. We are very proud of her progress she has been making. 

She has been living with her father and step mother. For Sarmila, the life with her step mother is not easy. She express that she struggles living with her family and wants to move out. But outside life is not easy as well.

Parcel from Australia: Matt and Sam

MySmallHelp, Nepal received a big parcel containing sports equipment, cloths and small toys. They were distributed to Marybert children. They were very thankful to received them. Thank you Matt and Sam from Australia.  

Bernadette : My Volunteering Experience

As a 28 year old Irish nurse I volunteered with My Small Help for 4 weeks in June 2014 in Ollantaytambo. My first impression of Ollantaytambo situated in the heart of the sacred valley was how incredible beautiful it was and how could there be poverty' in such a tourist picturesque village.

On my first day I was meet my the 3 other wonderful volunteers in the house and was given a through induction of the program. On my first home visit later that evening I must admit I was truly overwhelmed on the conditions the families were living in. I had no doubt from that point that behind the doors of the beautiful village of Olllantaytambo a lot of help was needed.

 As a volunteer I stayed in the volunteer house which was a great way to get to know the other volunteers. My role during my four weeks included the school bus run in the mornings an the evenings which helped children with disabilities attend the school in Urubamba. Another program which I was very involved in was the home visits where we visited an elderly lady in her home as well as children with cerebral palsy. The home visits allowed me to apply social, physical , play,sensory and varies of other therapies to the children in there home.I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the children a lot better and engaging with their families during this time.

As time went by the local friendly Ollantaytambo colours really shone and I got to meet and know a lot of the locals as well as volunteers from other organisations.

During my stay I was also involved in fundraising actives including a local party where as the volunteers we were able to create more awareness of the organisation amongst local people as well as raise money which is essential to keep this NGO running.

Looking back on my experience now I would strongly recommend anyone who is keep to volunteer and work with disabled children to get involved in this wonderful organisation. The organisation allows you to give a lot to the children regardless of what background you come from whether it is health, artist, business, travel

 ......word cant express how much you can give, but you must be willing and committed to doing so. But most importantly it is not what I have given that I took away from my experience it was what the organisation gave to me....the experience truly opened my eyes to the life's of other people and the wonderful work that organisations like my small help has on the lives who need it.

Love,
Bernadette

Help initiative for Sindhupalchowk Landslide Victims

Heavy rain caused massive landslides from the hillside in Jure, Mankhaa Village Development Committee of Sindhupalchowk district. The incident happened at
02:00 am on 02 August 2014 when most of the people were sleeping in their homes. The landslide created more than 100 meter high artificial dam across Saptakoshi River, one of the main tributaries of Koshi River. The flow of water is completely blocked due to the dam that has created artificial ponds, accumulating a large volume of water upstream. The blockages of river course formed an artificial lake; spread over 2.5 KM by length and 130 Mtr by depth. The landslide area is located 70 KM North East of Kathmandu Valley. Araniko Highway, a major highway that links Kathmandu to Chinese boarder passes through the incident area. The areas along the highway are very important from the point of view of tourism and trade between China and Nepal so most of the area were inhabited with markets, hotels and private homes in several places. Two hydropower plants are fully operating nearby the area.

The landslide occurred in the night time has caused huge loss of life and properties in Jure area where many houses and markets were located. Sindhupalchowk district administration today declared all missing persons in Ban Sanghu landslide dead, as rescuers gave up any hope of finding more bodies from the debris. Rescuers were able to find only 33 bodies in five days while more than 123 are still trapped under the rubble.

The landslide has affected large areas and completely swept away many infrastructures, including more than 200 houses, markets, part of the highway, livestock and transport vehicles that were parked on the highway. Report from the affected areas shows 21 people, including one Belgian citizen, are injured in that incident. The road access to the affected area is completely disrupted and security forces has blocked the roads around 20 KM ahead of the incident area. Likewise, the communication network is very limited and two hydropower plants shut down and the supply of electricity in the area and in Kathmandu valley is reduced. The access for assessment team in the affected area is very difficult and restricted due to the high risk of floods so NRCS assessment is still exploring possibilities to gain access.

People evacuated from the areas are either taking shelter with their neighbors or in schools. Many families spent the whole night on 02 August in open spaces and the rain has yielded more complications.

Since a large volume of water is still collected just above the artificial dam, the risk of flash floods is high and in case of collapse of the dam may cause huge devastation in 11 (Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Khotang, Dolakha, Bhojpur, Udayapur, Sindhuli, Ramechhap, Dhankuta, Saptari and Sunsari) districts along riverside downstream of the landslide area which may cause huge destruction in infrastructures, lives and properties. In worse case, even Bihar state of India may get affected. The government has declared a high risk area along the riverside downstream of the Koshi river.