Jane McKears (pictured right with Programme Coordinator Binod Bhujel) went with Olwyn Cupid to assist at our branch office in Hetauda. Hetauda is the principal town in Makwanpur District which before our work had its positive impact was the main child trafficking area to the Indian circuses. This is what Jane wrote about her time there:"Olwyn and I came to Nepal to do five weeks voluntary work over the Desai holiday period. Both of us are widely travelled, and Olwyn in particular has seen most of the world.
We were drawn to the project by a number of things. I had briefly visited the project at Bhairahawa and was attracted to the positive and optimistic attitude at the centre. It quickly became clear to me that this really is a charity which is here for the benefit of the children and not the Directors. With my having a background in Health Visiting and Child Protection, and Olwyn being an Inspector of schools, we soon recognized the project as being totally child-centred. Our first few days were spent at Godawari, which is five miles outside of Kathmandu. In this gentle oasis, we picked oranges from the trees in our garden [I wondered where those had gone to...] and enjoyed views from our rooftop towards Everest. Outside in the road, goats and hens wandered amongst brightly painted lorries.
After a couple of frustrating days when we did not even know where the children were, we were able to join them at last. It was such fun, teaching them to play "What's the time Mr. Wolf" and other games. They actually screamed with excitement. It was only later that we discovered some of the "children" were 19 years old, but having had their childhood destroyed, they were learning to play. I gave an impromptu First Aid Course with an almost empty First Aid box, but the children appreciated practicing covering an open wound.
The following week we were transferred to Hetauda. Nothing in our previous travels prepared us for the ten hour bus journey there. Cramped into the small back seat which we shared with 2 men, we could not move our legs at all, but felt more fortunate than those sitting on the roof…especially when the late monsoon flooded our road. The 14 seater bus conveyed 26 of us along, not counting those sitting on the roof. It was stifling hot, and the pot-holed road was emphasized by the lack of suspension. Bouncing along as though we were horse-riding, I was once bounced up so high I banged my head on the ceiling of the bus. Respite came with a loo stop. Looking out through the large hole, which replaced a window, I was able to enjoy beautiful rural views whilst having a wee. Naturally when we unpacked our cases, which had been strapped to the roof throughout the downpour, the entire contents were soaking!
So why did the morning find us relaxed and contented? Nepali people are amongst the friendliest in the world. And the children at our project were welcoming and helpful. By lunch time I had had my toe nails and left hand finger nails painted scarlet by the children, and Olwyn had enjoyed showing them how to use her camera. Plentiful meals of dhal bhat were provided, which were delicious but mountainous! We had great fun singing English and Nepali songs together, and then had ball games which reminded me how much fun childhood can be. It wasn't all fun of course. The regular water and electricity cuts were frustrating, but we followed the lead of the children who took it all in due course. Neither did we like the mosquitoes which seemed particularly attracted to us.
Highlights for me included, taking a pregnant girl to hospital for a check up, where it was interesting to see the ante-natal check up. We both loved visiting the families of circus returnees to see if the girls had settled well back at home. Seeing families live in 2 roomed mud huts was not a new experience for us, but gaining insight into the social causes of child trafficking was an eye-opener. It is not just simply illiteracy that leads families to believe their children will be transformed into film stars, but a simplicity which is associated with the geographical limits of their lifestyles. One family we visited, were of the Chepang tribe. They are the poorest tribe in Nepal and live their entire lives in the jungle, eating only what can be found there. They live in houses of mud and branches, and never leave the area. Imagine how tragically simple it would be to fool them that their daughter was about to be given a great future in the circus. As Hetaudu is prone to child trafficking, the staff have been out with loudspeakers , conducting awareness campaigns. Let's hope this reduces the incidence.
Our time at Hetauda was also used to conduct a research project to find the current state of the circuses in India,. This will inform the future direction of the work of the Trust.. most of what the circus returnees, and ex-circus managers told us, only reinforced knowledge already available to the Trust. It was extremely painful for us to hear the girls describe their treatment, but this just served to strengthen our commitment to supporting the work of the Esther Benjamins Trust.
If you are thinking of coming here as a volunteer, please bring with you an open mind. Nepali culture is complex and diverse. Would I recommend that you come here as a volunteer? Well, yes – if you have the skills and knowledge which are useful to the Esther Benjamins Trust. Remember that the volunteer experience is primarily to benefit the children, and our own enjoyment is secondary. For both of us this has been a wonderful experience, peppered with a great sadness at suffering which we cannot erase."
