Old Sai Home

The Sai Home is perhaps the only example of low caste and poor people establishing a home for children.  They created a large family home rather than an institutional environment.

SAI Home was just five minute walk from where the Dharmik Australia founders lived for four months in 2007. From a distance it was curious that such a small 6x6 metre concrete building could be home to so many children, adults and chickens as well as a couple of dogs.  When we visited there we were appalled at the living conditions. Leaky roof, smelly toilet, cramped, not enough food, poor clothing and children forced to stay home due to inability to pay school fees. As fate would have it, we met Mr. Narayan Shrestha there who was to become our first in-country partner and who helps us in many ways through his non profit organisation Dharmik Nepal. This page tells the historical story of how Narayan and Mark (Dharmik co-founder) set out to improve the initial conditions in this home.

Mark & Narayan met the founder of the Sai Home who was a man of high integrity who had many excellent ideas and simply needed help with funding.  His days were spent going door to door in the district asking for rice and lentils for the next month's food.  He had perhaps twenty regular donors but was only just managing to feed and house the 15 children, with his collecting and also his wife working full time as a maid for $50 per month.  We began slowly, and the decisions were made cooperatively.

The before and after photos truly tell the story.

A very smelly affair

The inside toilet with 23 people using it made the entire house smell very bad to the extent of a health hazard.  The home founder knew exactly what to do he just didn't have the funds.  He did all the work himself and constructed an outdoor toilet for day time use with brick walls and a door, cleverly using the external staircase as part of the structure.  Cost $90

There is a Hole in the Roof 

We've heard of rising damp but what about falling damp?  The roof needed patching up to stop the water leaking in and creating damp all through the house.  This is a big danger for respiratory diseases.  We fixed most of the problem with a 30mm layer of cement on the roof.  Cost $60

A Slap of Paint 

The general paint condition was bad and our Nepali partner organisation wanted to repaint the inside of the house.  The idea was that if the children lived in better conditions, they would want to keep themselves in better condition also.  Cost $116

Cooking with Gas

No money to buy gas for cooking means using an outdoor fire and scrounging for wood.  This is difficult at any time but especially the wet season.  They need about 13 x 20kg bottles of gas a year which we are funding.  This is an annual expense.   Cost $321

Off to School

The children needed school bags and text books.  Cost $217

What's for Dinner

They could only afford rice and lentils.  We are funding in-season vegetables twice a week.  Our Nepali parnter organisation is sourcing and delivering these.  This is an annual expense.  Cost $520

Water Views

Right at the front door was a big hole requiring 30 tonnes of dirt to fill it in.  This hole was hazardous as it attracted mosquitos and was a drowning threat for the children.  The trucks were loaded and unloaded by hand.  Cost  $150

Verandah out the Front

There was no shelter from the monsoon.  Over the fireplace was a hopeless little shelter.  We built a thatched roof across the full entrance and the chickens loved it.  Cost  $100

Restful Nights Sleep

The sheets and mattresses were completely worn out, we replaced them.  Cost $160

Water on Tap

The only water was via a bucket from the well, not a good situation when you are trying to get 15 children to have a regular bath and wash.  We supplied a 1000 litre roof mounted water tank, a pump and connection to the existing plumbing.  Cost $320

Kiss it better with a BandAid

We supplied a medical kit and our in-country partners provided medical advice as required.  Keeping the kit refilled is a recurring expense.  Cost $40

We Love School

We paid the outstanding school fees.  School fees are an ongoing expense.   Cost $370

Total cost $2,464.00

 

Many people have visited this home and everyone says similar things. Here are some direct quotations:-

• “I visited the home at all times of the day and night usually without notice. I always found a happy and well organized atmosphere with the children managing themselves without direct adult supervision” – Mark (founder)

 

• “ The SAI Home is the most heart warming environment I have ever been apart of.  I have never witnessed a group of children show so much love, compassion and care for each other, and such openness and kindness toward strangers.  This special home is one of a kind in the sense of family it has created and the life enhancing shelter and care it provides for a fortunate group of Nepali children.  I feel incredibly blessed to have spent time with those delightful children - my life has been forever changed ” - Nina (Professional Photographer)

 

• “The SAI home is a wonderful place - full of happy kids who are motivated to help each other in work and play. The staff are truly dedicated to the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare of the children they look after” - Verena (Sydney Children's Hospital Therapist)

The founders of this home have created an environment where the children live and work cooperatively and in harmony. They are low caste themselves and from an orphaned background and have little education, yet they know how to grow every sort of food and manage animals and fix anything. They raise half the operating costs themselves and Dharmik Australia help with the rest.   

Current Situation

In 2009 Nepal government refused to renew SAI license due to inadequate accommodation for the children, SAI facing closure.  After an appeal by Mark to the Government Director, a one year licence extension was granted.  However the Sai landlord gave 3 months notice to vacate the premises.  With only 2 weeks to spare, Mark and Yuzeena our Nepal Manager became aware of this situation and the search for suitable accommodation began.  A suitable home was found close by and the owners are genuinely socially minded people with one of their daughters operating and solely funding her own children's home with 10 children.  Whilst it is a relief to have found this house, the owners will be demolishing it in 2014 to build a new home.  In the meantime the owners are happy to rent these premises to us and is not bothered about wear and tear, the only requirement is to respect the neighbours need for peace and quiet.

In February 2010 the children and their carers move just up the road to their new home which is only 300 metres from their school. This new home is an absolute mansion compared with the old Sai Home.  The ongoing costs of rent, gas, food, education - the list goes on are still there and you can help us help them by sponsoring a child or giving a general donation - every dollar truly does help.