BACK TO PROJECT
Morgan and Monica’s Diary – September 23, 2016
Morgan and Monica’s Diary – September 23, 2016,
Morgan:
This morning was a sad morning for me as I had to say goodbye to all the children. I held it together for the majority of the morning, but then when I hugged Samjhana and she started to cry in my arms I couldn’t hold it together any longer. Knowing that I will see them again in a few months helps, but at the same time I love spending time with them. This trip was special for me because each one of them has grown. I was blown away by how tall they had gotten and how grown up they seemed in just four months. As well I got to see their true personalities come out during this trip because they have all settled in and consider Home of Hope as their home now. They weren’t shy or scared as I remember them when I met them for the first time in April.
Shyam, Asha and the kids really look like one big family. The children all eat, play, do homework and garden together. They have told me they like it best when they are all with each other doing an activity. I really got to see first-hand when I spent the afternoon in the garden with them. They were all singing while they planted seeds and weeded. Not one child complained about helping out as they have figured out that working together gets more done than working alone. They all also want to help Asha and Shyam as much as possible because they look like their parents now. It was so interesting to sit back and observe this tight knit family all work together so well.
Even though it felt that I was in Ratankot for a short time, I was able to get many tasks completed such as interviews with the children, making a schedule, board meeting, making practical repairs on the house and making sure that Home of Hope is running smoothly. I felt happy to be able to bond with the children either through playing football with them, reading to them, helping with homework, or just walking them to school. My absolute favorite moment of the trip was when Shree Krishna Thapa pulled me aside to tell me how thankful he is for Home of Hope. That he feels he has a brighter future now because of this home and that he wants to achieve all of his goals. Home of Hope is not just a house in the mountains of Nepal, it is the stepping stone in these children’s lives that will make them grow to be a brighter generation.
Monica:
It was so wonderful to meet the children at Home of Hope and return to Nepal. I really feel I got the opportunity to fulfill my dream of coming back to Nepal as a nurse and midwife. I think that I was able to accomplish all of the tasks that I set out to do. I made the health check up on all of the children at Home of Hope and we also had a good conversation about the body and how it matures. I also made basic health checks for the children at the tent school in Ratankot and the school in Upper Ratankot. I hope I was able to give them good advice about hygiene, not spreading germs and daily routines that can ward off sickness in the future. It feels like this work is just the beginning for Ratankot as it will need to be followed up in the future.
More women showed up for the women’s meeting than I had expected. It became a really good meeting as the women were so interested in learning more about their female parts, pregnancy, protection during sex and hygiene. It felt like they were soaking up every word I said. We also had some good laughs together and the thing that made me the happiest was when all the women agreed they would start talking more openly about these issues with their daughters and each other. This work is also just in the beginning phase. Unfortunately, the clinic was closed until the last night I was there. I hope that this work is continued in the future, as I feel it is important for the village people.
I really enjoyed meeting so many new people as I have made many new connections and friends. I felt that the Home of Hope is really a home of hope. Hope for the future, believing in themselves and loving one another. These are the basic tools needed to raise these children. I wish them all the best for the future and hopefully I can continue my work with them.
Morgan and Monica:
We are so glad to have gone on this trip together that turned out to be an adventure for us both. We have really bonded over the course of two weeks. We went from not knowing one another to now having shared so many memories and emotions together. We were both lucky to have been able to witness each other’s work as we learned from one another. We think we complete and complement each other. Not only did we focus our attention on the Home of Hope children, but we also put in the effort and time to help the other surrounding village people. We hope that we have left everyone with more knowledge and useful information that will make them healthier and happier. We really enjoyed bonding with each and every child. We were so emotional leaving Ratankot because we felt like they were our own children. It is never easy to say goodbye to your own children.
We are very pleased with this visit as it feels like we got many things accomplished. They now have a running washing machine, a refrigerator, Wi-Fi, new winter clothing and so many items that were bought by so many amazing donations. If it were possible we would thank you in person. We would like to thank Partex UK for their generous donation of books. The children absolutely loved them and we really enjoyed reading with them! We would like to also extend a thank you to Sophie Lööf and Johan Magnusson, we would not have been able to see all of the young and bright faces of the children at Home of Hope if it weren’t for both your hard work on this project. We are so grateful for your trust in us. Now we head to bed as we have to be up early tomorrow morning for our flight back to Sweden. Thank you to everyone who helped, contributed and followed our work in Nepal! Namaste.
Morgan and Monica
Lööf Foundation volunteers
