Update from Kopila Valley

Things here at Kopila have been very busy.

 

We got the water filters assembled and ready for distribution.
Maggie made a list of the various hospitals, clinics and NGO's for us to place the filters.

We gave the first one to the Care group which trains women to deliver babies. The women was very excited to receive it and was impressed with how easy the system worked.

Mary and I also started a painting project yesterday. We are making a big canvas sign to hang in front of the school entrance.

Painting is very challenging here- you have to learn to improvise. With the use of a piece of string, a book, bucket lids, bottles and various other tricks to measure, it all worked out fine. With the exception of several little late night foot prints, it looks pretty good!

Getting paint here in Surkhet is quite a task. You have to order paint and then wait for the power to come on so the paint can be mixed- that can be a few hours or sometimes longer, and then when you get your paint it is often not close to the color you ordered.

One great lesson I have learned from working in Nepal is you need to be flexible and some extra patience comes in handy too.

Kristin worked with the men to repair a stucco patch at the front gate of the school. They were very impressed to see a women who knew how to stucco and the patch turned out terrific. Now with some touch up paint- it will look as good as new.

Yesterday and today there is a strike in Nepal where everything is closed. Which means we have 40 little kids hanging around the house all day. Mary was on the roof trying to do a little yoga and had several little faces looking up at her from her various poses. So much for meditation but it least it was good for a few laughs.

With all the kids at the house all day we decided to play Catch the Flag yesterday. It was boys against girls. It looked like a scene out of the movie Brave Heart when all the boys were heading in our direction. After losing a few rounds, we came up with a new strategy where we formed a human chain and had the smaller kids behind us. We would let the boys through our legs and the little kids would sit on them. Some of the kids where so small and light, that I could just scoop them up in my two arms and toss them back like a bowing ball. This strategy worked out pretty well as we only lost by one point. I haven't had that much fun or played so hard in a long time, it was a blast!

Tonight I am thinking we could set up some water bottle pins and bowl with human bowling balls, if its ok with Maggie. I know the kids would be up to it because they keep coming thru my legs wanting to be thrown again and again.

Last night at satsung we distributed tote bags to all the kids at Kopila Home. Maggie has been working hard on recycling projects here at Kopila, so the girls at Activity Days at my church helped to make tote bags for each of the children

All the kids where happy and had a tote bag fashion show.

 Little Maya came into our room this morning with the tote bag strapped on her head- like a doka basket.  It was to cute!

Now they can use them instead of plastic bags when they go shopping!

More painting projects lined up for today and tomorrow is (the festival of colors), Holi Day.

We are planning on taking all the kids down to the Bugmati river to celebrate and play. Should be fun and very dirty.... I will keep you posted.