Sunrise Orphanage Kathmandu
Sunrise Orphanage
Kathmandu, Nepal
Supported by Sunrise Children’s Association Inc. Australia
www.scai.org.au
President SCAI Australia/ Country Director SCAI Nepal: Emma Taylor
Phone: +977 98033 70997
Email: emma@scai.org.au
Volunteer Coordinator: Sarah Thom
Phone: + 61 (0) 3 9527 9692
Email: sarah@scai.org.au
In February 2004 Emma Taylor a young Australian woman traveled to Nepal and volunteered in a local orphanage. Emma soon realized the orphanage like so many, was nothing more than a scam at the expense of the children. Emma then joined forces with volunteers Michaela Killips, Sarah Kemp and local Nepalese friends to establish a quality home for children called ‘Sunrise Orphanage’. Here the children would be provided with a safe, loving home where their interests were the number one priority.
The children are provided education and skills to ensure they have a happy, healthy future, and to enable the children to become employable and self-sufficient. Sunrise are working in partnership with various local people and organisations in Nepal on various training, development and income generating programs to achieve this. Today, the average yearly income in Nepal is $US240, 49% of the population live in absolute poverty, the unemployment rate is 47% and literacy is generously estimated at 29%. There are over 2.6m child labourers, over 150 orphanages in Kathmandu alone and the infant mortality rate of children under 5 years 10.4%.
Since 1996 over 13,000 people have been killed due the conflict in Nepal between the Communist Party Of Nepal (Maoists) and the Royal Administration. Through this conflict, the poor economy, lack of health care, welfare support, and education, many children have become innocent victims, left orphaned or abandoned, on the streets begging, sold into slave labour or prostitution. Sunrise is there to rescue and prevent the incidence of this occurring to as many children as they can.
Sunrise now cares for 77 children at Sunrise Orphanage, aged 5-18 years, supports the education of almost 100 children in one of the major slum areas, as well as a further 31 children in the local community and runs a Training and Development Centre for over 250 students.
Visiting Sunrise Orphanage
Visitors to Sunrise Orphanage are welcome but only by appointment. The best time to visit is on Saturday 1-4pm when the children are at home and have free time, but alternative times can be arranged. Please contact Emma Taylor preferably at least one month prior to your arrival in Nepal. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Sarah Thom. Visitors must submit a Visitor Agreement Form found on the website prior to visiting, along with a passport photo. Please ensure you carry photo ID when you visit.
How to get there
Sunrise Orphanage is located about 45 minutes out of the main tourist area in a small village called Bhairab Chau, just past Gokarna. The most convenient way to get to Sunrise is via taxi, at a cost of NPR 400-500 (approx AUD$6-8) one way. Directions can be emailed to visitors, or you can contact Emma Taylor on +977 98033 70997 or House Father Tulsi Mainali on +977 98416 72340 for detailed directions directly prior to your visit.
Please do not post anything to Nepal without prior consultation with Emma Taylor, as the postal system can be unreliable, and Sunrise will get charged a customs duty for release of the goods in Nepal, so need to make sure the donated goods are worth more than the postal and customs charges. It is preferable to carry the goods in when you next travel to Nepal.
We thank you for your interest in helping the children and we look forward to welcoming you to Sunrise in Nepal.
