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Morgan’s Diary- April 30, 2016
Morgan’s Diary- April 30, 2016:
Today is the big day! Finally, it’s the day of the inauguration for Home of Hope! I couldn’t be more thrilled! We have bought so many party hats, small horns, and little treat bags for all of the children in Ratankot. We have invited the whole village to come for this big celebration! I didn’t sleep well last night as I slept in the girls room and they were all up quite late laughing and talking. It was so great to hear all of the girls just laughing amongst themselves, and being really happy in their new beds. It seems that the general time the Nepali children get up is at 5:30, so I got up with them all, to start the day. We had some preparation to do, and some cleaning of the rooms.
Today we were getting two more children that will live at Home of Hope. Purna Kamari Thapa, and her brother Hari Krishna Thapa arrived in the morning. I could tell that Purna was very shy, and a little scared. I took her to shower, and she didn’t speak much english, but after showering so many other girls I was used to communicating by actions. I got her all washed, and hair shampooed. I tried my best to make sure she was well cleaned. Then I got her a new change of clothes, and brushed her hair. The power was down, so I could not blow dry her hair like I did for the other girls. Sophie helped me get her a juice pack and biscuits, as her and her brother walked a very long way to get to Home of Hope. I showed her around the home a little, and sat with her while she ate. Once she finished, I took her to the girls room, to get her acquainted with the others girls, and play with some toys. The other girls were good at making her feel welcomed. As she was playing I went to check on her brother. I welcomed him to Home of Hope, and could tell he was just as shy as his sister.
Shortly after meeting the two new children, it was time to start preparing for the day. I made sure all of the children had a Lööf Foundation t-shirt on, and looked presentable for their big performance. They had practice time with Thandiwe to go over the songs they were going to sing. I stepped outside to see how preparations were going, and when I walked outside, there were already so many people. It was such a neat sight to see so many village people in one spot. There were so many women sitting up on the ledges in their colorful clothing. Some were holding tiny babies, and all of the school children we had met the day before were there. There was no empty spaces around Home of Hope! The swedish group of people that accompanied us were handing out treat bags to all of the children, and they started to wear their party hats, and blow their small horns. Sophie and Johan were greeting people as they came through the gate. It was really a sight I will never forget.
We started the inauguration of Home of Hope off with Sophie and Johan cutting the Swedish ribbon. Next they cut the ribbon to the entrance of Home of Hope. Then Pema Dorjee Lama and another monk blessed the house with prayers. We started the party off with local village dancers that performed a welcome dance to our Home of Hope children singing a Nepali song. Then many speeches were made by Karma Lama, Sophie, Johan, Pema Dorjee, and Christina.
Even more performances were made by the village children who danced! The Home of Hope children performed excellently with a Nepali song and dance. As well, they performed a South African folk song called Shosholoza, which was inspiring to see them sing in a language they do not speak. Thandiwe finished off the day with a beautiful song. She looked so perfect singing with the mountains behind her. After all celebrations, the entire village was welcomed to lunch provided by Lööf Foundation. A total of 800 eggs were boiled for lunch! Once it settled down in Home of Hope, Sophie and myself conducted interviews with all of the children living in Home of Hope. Shyam was present to help translate. It was very tough to do these interviews, as many of their stories were sad to hear. One very touching moment that brought both Sophie and I to tears was when one of the children’s birth certificates was handed over to us.
Today was a day of celebration and happiness for the village and especially for the children. I couldn’t have been more happy to be present for this magical day. One thing that Sophie and Johan have taught me throughout the process of this project is to never give up. No matter what happens, always perservere, because it will pay off in the end. Nothing is impossible, and everything is achievable if you work hard. Congratulations Sophie and Johan, your dream has now come true. You are providing these deserving children with the best future, and I know that these kids will do great things with their lives, and achieve all of their dreams, just like you have. Many thanks for today!
/Morgan Young