In the rural, mountainous region of Mugu, which is far away from civilization, the charitable organization Asha21 is currently building a children's home. This is the third children's home to be built there. The 40 children, most of whom are orphans, former labor slaves, street children or severely disadvantaged outcastes, will soon be able to start here on a path to a future full of more hope. Work is so far advanced that 20 children have been taken in already.
The new refuge is intended to give them a home and a feeling of belonging. Here, children are at last allowed to be just children and no longer have to work. For the first time they experience what childhood is. The society's helpers and their partners on the ground support the children in their development through sponsorships. Thanks to money donated, Asha21 can provide the children with a home, warm meals and free schooling as well as a real chance to lead a better life.
With the aid of long-term sponsorships the young people gain school-leaving qualifications. Further cooperations, such as that with the Mayer Bakery from Kohlberg, help shape their future. Master baker Michael Moll, who was sent by his employer to spend several weeks in Nepal, trains the young people at the "Grace Bakery" in the profession as a baker. This enables them to provide freshly baked goods on a daily basis in Nepal's capital Kathmandu.
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. The shimmers of hope are as small as the mountain ranges are huge, when there is another earthquake or floods force the inhabitants to rebuild their lives again. This especially affects the children who live in the remote, mostly isolated regions such as in the western Mugu district, where they have to work hard from as young as seven years of age.
Here the people suffer from severe malnourishment, and due to the high altitude they can only grow crops for 3 months in the year. The routes to the next water source are rocky, long and arduous. Hardly anyone here has electricity. The only source of heating and light is usually a fire in the middle of the living area, which also serves as a kitchen and sleeping area. Most people are illiterate, with the national average currently at around 75 percent. If the parents have no money for food, there not only is material basis for living; the children do not usually go to school either. A vicious circle which is very hard to break.
This is where the initiative Asha21
"Asha" comes from Sanskrit and means hope and desire, in a sense the expectation of a positive future. The hard-working helpers from the charitable association Asha21 demonstrate this approach every day as they help disadvantaged and needy children in Nepal.
Daimler ProCent is donating €30,000 towards the new building for the children's home, as well as furniture and the purchase of a new kitchen.
Music: "Summer" by Ilya Marfin from Fugue (https://icons8.com/music/author/ilya-marfin)
Asha21 is based on the former "Nepalhilfe" founded by Oliver Keppeler. He went to Nepal in 2001 to experience an adventure. During his trip the political climate in Nepal worsened and a civil war broke out. He was personally affected by the people's suffering and when he sought refuge with Pastor Min Raj Dulal in Kathmandu, he immediately knew that he would help. A friendship with Pastor Min Raj began and Oliver Keppeler had hardly arrived back in Germany before starting fundraising campaigns for the impoverished street children in Nepal. In 2017 Asha21 was founded in order to continue securing donations for relief operations such as aid following earthquakes, floods and support for the children's homes and sponsorships in West Nepal.