Ama Ghar Displaced Children Fund

Since the earthquakes that struck Nepal in April and May, there has been one bit of bad news after the other, from the loss of ancient temples to loss of lives, homes and families. The latest blow has been the humanitarian crisis caused by the border blockade that has kept Nepal from getting supplies of fuel for cooking, heating and transportation; and a food shortage caused by the inability to get food from the areas where it's grown or raised to where it's needed.Through it all, the Nepali people remain smiling and resilient.

One of our newest additions to the Ama Ghar family is Badiram, a four-year-old boy who has captured all of our hearts with his lovable personality. He's a real character and a constant reminder to us that life is good, even though he's been through many traumas in his young life.

He loves to give kisses and always has a smile - he seldom needs to walk anywhere as everyone wants to hold and carry him... he is definitely getting spoiled by his older sisters. When he isn't being held he's a very active little boy. And though he's the smallest and youngest in the house, he eats two big bowls of food and is always the last to finish eating.

During the recent Nepali holidays of Dashain and Tihar, Badiram kept us all entertained by imitating the older boys' dance moves. He especially loved the Tihar ceremony of Ma Pujha, the celebration of the self, and Bhai Tika, which honors brothers with a special ceremony.

Our goal with the Displaced Childrens' Fund is to provide children like Badiram a safe home, either by re-uniting them with their families or placing them in a reputable childrens' home. We are planning to take in more earthquake refugee children ourselves, with three more being sent to us by a government agency within the next few weeks.

Please help us to care for children like Badiram by donating to the Displaced Chidlrens' Fund this holiday season, and thanks for all the help you have given us during 2015.

Links:

• Our foundation website

"There are some things that once you've lost, you never get back. Innocence is one. Love is another. I guess childhood is a third."
                                                                        
                                                                                      - John Marsden

Though the media has lost interest in the Nepal earthquakes, the effects linger on. Aftershocks still continue and the children of Nepal live in a world of lost innocence and lost childhood, where they never feel quite safe, despite the best efforts of those who love and care for them.

To help children deal with the afternath of these disasters, Ama Foundation has joined with Global Family Village, a U.S. based charity that supports community based alternative care of children, to print and distribute a childrens' coloring book called "Gita and Shyam: The Day The Earth Shook."

There are 66 resettlement camps throughout earthquake affected areas, and the storybook will be given to children, teachers, counselors and caregivers in each of these camps, thanks to all of you who donated to our Earthquake Relief and Displaced Children's Funds.

"Gita and Shyam" was first published in English in 2008 by the author, Chandra Ghosh, and funded by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network in the U.S. It has been readapted for other natural disasters and translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Hindi. Dr. Kishor Shrestha, Board member of Global Family Village-Nepal led the adaptation and translation of the story to fit the Nepali context. The storybook was reviewed by experts at the Ministry of Education, and revised with the full collaboration of the author, Mrs. Ghosh, and the illustrator, Erich Ippen.

As part of our mission to help children traumatized and displaced by the earthquake, Ama Foundation joined with Global Family Village to fund the first printing of the book and distribute it to the most severely affected districts. The are 66 resettlement camps throughout earthquake affected areas, and the storybook will be given to children, teachers, counselors, and caregivers in each of these camps.

It was your gift to the Ama Foundation Displaced Childrens' Fund that made this possible, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our next goal is to put this book in the hands of every elementary school child in Nepal - we'll keep you posted on our progress.

Links:

• Ama Foundation Website

• "Gita and Shyam" - Nepali edition (PDF)