In the jungles of southern Nepal, Himalayan Life Chitwan exists to reach out to marginalized children through day camps, hockey and educational assistance. The children that are part of our programs in Chitwan come from quite troubled and hard home situations, much more so that our children in Pokhara. Despite this, anywhere between 50-100 children attend our programs daily!
At HL Chitwan, children can find an escape in our spaces of safety, laughter, and joy. This program does not just create situations for children to ‘play’. Instead, it trains, equips, and teaches these children skills applicable for sports and also for life. They teach about finding true joy, true hope and true freedom.
SPORT AND DEVELOPMENT
One should not underestimate the power of sport in the development and healing of children and youth. Much research has been done to show a connection between sport and development and peace, especially in youth (UN, 2016). Sports support gender empowerment and improve conflict resolution abilities (UN, 2016). These are just a few examples of why the HL Chitwan programs are so much more than just playtime. These are programs give opportunities to children to experience liberation and hope as they grow.
This type of transformation would not be possible without our amazing staff, Loveson, Indra and Bishal, along with three interns and a dozen volunteers. They pour love and light into these children’s lives and along with providing opportunities to learn, grow and experience joy.
Click here to Read More on our Chitwan Project
Photos courtesy of Loveson.
United Nations. (2016, August). Sports as a Means of Advancing International Development. The Magazine of the United Nations, LIII (2). Retrieved from https://unchronicle.un.org/article/sport-means-advancing-international-development
