News Archive
Kristen: Live from the Himalayas, Part 1
Happy faces at CPCS.
AHF recently bid farewell to our awesome project coordinator, Kristen Parrinello. Before she ventures off to graduate school, Kristen is off on an adventure to see many of AHF's projects in the Himalayas. Here is her first dispatch from the field:
To complete my time at AHF, it was important to me observe the projects that I had been helping with. When on the other side of the world, pictures, letters, and reports can capture a large amount of a stranger's need for help and their gratefulness for receiving it but that wasn't enough. The drive to connect with some of the people that stared back at me on the computer screen impacted my decision to come here.
A two hour delay soon became a four hour delay in LAX on August 7th. Arriving in Kathmandu proved to continue the fun from the evening before as my luggage was lost. The airline works really hard to make up for those faults on the ground by providing the nicest customer service in the air and the ground. It's hard to get frustrated with them as they smile warmly and ask how they can help.
Driving in Rome and Kuwait are an intermediate level of driving compared to the vigilance and skill required to drive in Kathmandu. Even though most cars don't accelerate above 40 kmph (27 mph), the lack of order and concern for safety is unlike western cultures. Imagine pulling up to a four way intersection without stop signs and dodging the other cars as they are trying to cross to the other side as well. It's like a Tetris version of Frogger. Car horns are used similarly to Rules of the Road for driving an ocean going vessel where they use it to warn, signal and in an emergency. For a vehicle to be driven successfully here, all it really needs is an engine and a horn; the rest is just added upgrades.
Friday, August 10th was a busy day. Bruce took me on a project visit to Child Protection Center and Services (CPCS) which helps street children have a safe haven to sleep and eat and encourages them to go to school or gives them basic schooling. They have a clinic, a mini bank, and there are sectioned off areas to keep the kids at different levels of their reintroduction back into society separate. There are many kids who eventually would like to be reunited with their parents and they could potentially be swayed back to their old ways by the newest kids who recently came in off of the street. Watching Bruce with the children was a delight as he would play around with them. Since they do not receive any physical interaction with adults they responded positively upon contact with him.
Afterwards, we drove outside of Kathmandu to the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC). Run by the amazing Dr. Banskota, the hospital is a life changing place for children who have orthopedic issues ranging from club feet to obstructive shoulder masses. Many parents in Nepal leave their kids at home playing next to the fire while they work in the fields, as there is no child care for the poor. When the kids burn themselves, the traditional Nepali way of curing the burn is to pack it with cow manure and fold the appendage together. In the case of an arm burn, they would fold the forearm in so that the hand would touch the shoulder and tie the arm together. Over time, the skin grows, attaching the forearm to the upperarm, creating contractures.
When parents bring their children to HRDC, they are counseled thoroughly on the process. Each child is allowed to have one parent stay with them while they go through the surgery, recovery, and physical therapy which may take months. How many hospitals are like this in America if the patient doesn't have health care?
The passion in the staff to help children in need stood out from visiting these projects. Compared to the hustle of Kathmandu it was refreshing to meet people who genuinely like what they are doing and want to help others. When we returned back to the office, my luggage, thanks to Pema's help, had returned successfully.
Would you like to help keep street children in Nepal safe and provide life-changing surgeries to disabled kids? Click here to find out how.
To complete my time at AHF, it was important to me observe the projects that I had been helping with. When on the other side of the world, pictures, letters, and reports can capture a large amount of a stranger's need for help and their gratefulness for receiving it but that wasn't enough. The drive to connect with some of the people that stared back at me on the computer screen impacted my decision to come here.
A two hour delay soon became a four hour delay in LAX on August 7th. Arriving in Kathmandu proved to continue the fun from the evening before as my luggage was lost. The airline works really hard to make up for those faults on the ground by providing the nicest customer service in the air and the ground. It's hard to get frustrated with them as they smile warmly and ask how they can help.
Driving in Rome and Kuwait are an intermediate level of driving compared to the vigilance and skill required to drive in Kathmandu. Even though most cars don't accelerate above 40 kmph (27 mph), the lack of order and concern for safety is unlike western cultures. Imagine pulling up to a four way intersection without stop signs and dodging the other cars as they are trying to cross to the other side as well. It's like a Tetris version of Frogger. Car horns are used similarly to Rules of the Road for driving an ocean going vessel where they use it to warn, signal and in an emergency. For a vehicle to be driven successfully here, all it really needs is an engine and a horn; the rest is just added upgrades.
Friday, August 10th was a busy day. Bruce took me on a project visit to Child Protection Center and Services (CPCS) which helps street children have a safe haven to sleep and eat and encourages them to go to school or gives them basic schooling. They have a clinic, a mini bank, and there are sectioned off areas to keep the kids at different levels of their reintroduction back into society separate. There are many kids who eventually would like to be reunited with their parents and they could potentially be swayed back to their old ways by the newest kids who recently came in off of the street. Watching Bruce with the children was a delight as he would play around with them. Since they do not receive any physical interaction with adults they responded positively upon contact with him.
Afterwards, we drove outside of Kathmandu to the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC). Run by the amazing Dr. Banskota, the hospital is a life changing place for children who have orthopedic issues ranging from club feet to obstructive shoulder masses. Many parents in Nepal leave their kids at home playing next to the fire while they work in the fields, as there is no child care for the poor. When the kids burn themselves, the traditional Nepali way of curing the burn is to pack it with cow manure and fold the appendage together. In the case of an arm burn, they would fold the forearm in so that the hand would touch the shoulder and tie the arm together. Over time, the skin grows, attaching the forearm to the upperarm, creating contractures.
When parents bring their children to HRDC, they are counseled thoroughly on the process. Each child is allowed to have one parent stay with them while they go through the surgery, recovery, and physical therapy which may take months. How many hospitals are like this in America if the patient doesn't have health care?
The passion in the staff to help children in need stood out from visiting these projects. Compared to the hustle of Kathmandu it was refreshing to meet people who genuinely like what they are doing and want to help others. When we returned back to the office, my luggage, thanks to Pema's help, had returned successfully.
Would you like to help keep street children in Nepal safe and provide life-changing surgeries to disabled kids? Click here to find out how.