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The progress on the orphanages
has been slower than anticipated
because of various bureaucratic
requirements that must be fulfilled
before a charitable organization
can start work in a developing country
such as India. However, the Himalaya
Foundation has been fortunate to have
the help of some dedicated volunteers
in India who are ensuring that these
requirements are met and bringing
the vision to reality.
Despite all these challenges, construction on the building was completed in October 2007 and the orphanage was named Nav Paryas which means "New Home". We were able to open our doors to our first three children in January, 2008. These kids came to us from Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity of Ludhiana/Chandigarh and adjusted very easily to their new home. There are now (Dec 08) 12 children in total, ranging from 4-16 years in age and, after some adjusting, all have become a loving group of siblings. We have enrolled the 10 youngest children in St. Teresa's Convent School, a 15-minute walk from Nav Paryas. We had originally placed them in the local government school but we realized that the lack of supplies there was not conducive to a good, quality education. The 2 oldest children, Manju and Ankita, take the school bus to a good government school some distance away. The children are cared for by 2 ladies who cook, clean, wash, iron, etc for the children and by Poonam, our House Mother. Poonam provides a home environment for the children and organizes their playtime, study time, rest time , etc. She also takes care of some administrative duties and liaisons with the schools and other institutions. She provides a nurturing environment as well as emotional support for the kids. The Kaushal family and any volunteers live on the first floor and reinforce the values taught to the kids by Poonam, as well as provide wholesome fun for the kids. We oversee the running of Nav Paryas at all times. Our home also has a very large basement which is cool in the hot months and where the kids can play. We also conduct a sewing class there and are planning on running an Outreach Program there for the kids of migrant families who are receiving no formal education at all. The plan is to keep the number of children steady (12 kids) for the next few months as everyone adjusts to the changes. However, we anticipate increasing the number to 20 children within the next year. Recent Updates
The Himalaya
Foundation has also been registered
in India to carry on the work of
operating the orphanage on a daily
basis. The Indian arm of the Himalaya
Foundation is called the Himalaya
Foundation (India). A local board
of trustees is responsible
for providing advice, guidance,
and direction to govern the operations
of the orphanage. The original plan
was to obtain a 5 acre piece of
land in a rural area, and to build
the physical structure and amenities
on that land. However, due to restrictions
on the acquisition of agricultural
land in India, that plan was changed.
Instead, the Himalaya Foundation
acquired a small piece of land in
an urban location. This land was
acquired approximately two years
ago. The Nav Paryas orphanage is located
in a city called
Chandigarh.
All of the drawings
and permissions to build on the
land were obtained from the
appropriate authorities and
construction
of the orphanage was completed in October 2007.
The Himalaya Foundation has prepared the orphanage for operations and opened its doors in January 2008.
On the Ground
In September 2007, Permod and Pearl Kaushal, founders and directors of the Himalaya Foundation, traveled to India to accomplish the following goals and to ensure that the orphanage would open on schedule:
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