It is now three years ago that I spent a summer in Kathmandu at the Sonrisa orphanage. Since then I have remained in touch with them, helping them, and probably will continue to do so for the rest of  my life. Whenever I have a spare moment I speak to them via Skype, give them a violin lesson via Skype video, and talk to the owner of the orphanage, Bisnhu, about day to day issues and the future of the orphanage.

This summer, together with my family and friends I helped them raise funds by making and selling bracelets. Initially this started just as an idea, but after some thought and planning we were soon making bracelets. The idea was to sell the bracelets during a festival in my home town of Zeanuri in Spain. After a few days of preparation, we were ready to sell them during the festival. Both people from Zeanuri, and visitors to the festival, got involved and took a great interest in the orphanage in Nepal. It was so successful that we sold them all on the first day, and we then worked late to make more to sell on the four remaining festival days. As a result we sent €800  to the orphanage, and given the success we will continue to raise funds in this way until Christmas.

I wanted to say a big thank you to the town of Zeanuri, and to everyone who left with a bracelet on their wrist, all of whom have helped the orphanage improve the lives of 15 Nepali children who are very grateful and happy. So to everyone that made this possible, and encouraged us to continue doing this type of fundraising that is so much needed in this world

Thank You Very Much!!

Ms Malgosia Ziemkiewicz [ Mau ]

Spanish Version
Nepal (Basque Version)

Hiru urte dira Kathmanduko Sonrisa Nepal umezurtzen etxean uda igaro nuela. Ordutik eurekaz lotuta nago, eta egongo naiz, agian betirako. Ahal dudanetan Skype erabilita bibolineko klaseak ematen dizkiet, edo eurekaz hitz egiteko hitzorduak antolatzen ditugu. Eta sarritan Bishnu-rekin, –jabearekin- etxearen antolakuntzaz eta geroaz hitzeguten dugu.

Aurtengo udan eurentzako diru laguntza batzeko gogoagaz, pulserak egiteko gelditu ginen. Hasieran idea airean hegan zebilen, airetik burura jaitsi, burutik paperean idatzi, paperetik dendara eta konturatu orduko etxeko guztiak eta inguruko lagunak larruzko pulserak egiten hasi ginen.  Zeanuriko jaietan saltzeko gogoagaz, pare bat egun pulserak egiten orduak igaro genituen. Baina saltzen jarri ginen eguneko arrakastarekin konturatu ginen hurrengo 4 egunetan ere jarri beharko ginela. Herriko jendeak eta jaietara etorritako kanpotarrek ere oso ondo hartu zuten ekimena, interesatuta eta laguntza emateko prest.  Dagoeneko 800 euro inguru bidali ditugu nepalera. Emaitzak ikusita gabonetara arte jarraitzea erabaki dugu. Eskerrak eman nahi dizkiet zeanuriko herritarrei, eta udan zeanurira etorri eta gure pultserekin joan diren guztiei!

Izugarri poztu dira Kathmanduko umeak, 15 ume daude, eta 15 bizik duten eguneroko beharretan asko lagunduko die laguntza kopuru honek. Mundu honetan hain beharrezko diren horrelako ekintza gehiago egiteko indarrak eman dizkiguten guztiei: Eskerrikasko!

Nepal (Spanish Version)

Hace tres años que pase el verano en Kathmandu, en el orfanato Sonrisa Nepal. Desde entonces estoy unida a ellos y puede que lo esté para siempre. Cuando puedo, usando Skype, les doy clases de violín o simplemente hablo con ellos. Con Bishnu, el organizador de este orfanato solemos hablar de los asuntos del día a día y del futuro del orfanato.

Este verano decidimos hacer pulseras de cuero para conseguirles ayuda económica. Al principio la idea volaba en el aire, después bajo a nuestras cabezas, y de ahí al papel, a las tiendas y antes de darnos cuenta, todos los de casa y amigos estabamos ya haciendo pulseras.

La idea era venderlas en las fiestas de Zeanuri, y nos pusimos a trabajar unos dias antes. Pero con el exito del primer dia, supimos que tendriamos que ponernos a trabajar los siguientes dias para poder vender durante todas las fiestas. La gente del pueblo y los que venian de otros pueblos nos acogieron muy bien, muy interesados por la causa y con intencion de ayudar. Ya hemos mandado al rededor de 800 euros a Nepal. Viendo el éxito decidimos continuar hasta navidades. Quería agradecer al pueblo de Zeanuri y a todos los que pasaron por el pueblo y se fueron con una pulsera en la mano.

Los ninos de Nepal se alegraron muchísimo, esta cantidad les ayudará mucho a estos 15 niños con 15 vidas y sus necesidades del día a día. A todos los que han hecho posible esta acción y nos dieron toda la energia para que podamos seguir organizando actividades tan necesarias como esta en este mundo: Gracias!
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VMG

At Sonrisa, we often get to see people doing wonderful, creative things to help the children here.  Recently, in Canada, some of our supporters set themselves a very ambitious goal and achieved more for Sonrisa than they even expected!  When Rachel so, a volunteer, returned to Canada, she wanted to do something to help Sonrisa, so with the help of two other long time supporters, Professor Dr. Carol Ann Courneya and Sachiko Kojima, along with the help of friends, family, and coworkers, she organized a variety show fundraiser to raise money for Sonrisa Orphanage Nepal.  They had performers of all backgrounds – dancers, musicians, and even Dorothy Poudel, a Nepali student at the local university doing some Nepali traditional dancing!  Gio Escueta was the Master of Ceremonies and Thomas Yu flew in all the way from Calgary. The evening started off with drinks and refreshments being sold before a silent auction of crafts, shawls and art that Professor Dr. Carol Ann had brought back from Nepal.  As well, there were many generous donations from local businesses.  The evening was very successful, even more successful than they dreamed, and they raised $4835 for Sonrisa and $1000 for Red Cross for assistance in Japan after the earthquake.

Events like this make some of the plans we have for the children at Sonrisa attainable.  We can really work towards building a home for the children that is safe, and clean and somewhere secure that they can stay and grow.  I cannot really say how grateful and overwhelmed I am by people doing things like this for us.  But I will try…to Rachel, Carol Ann, Sachiko also this is not an exhaustive list of all those who helped to make the evening a grand success.  Thank you to everyone who worked hard behind the scenes, giving a hand in any way they could.

An apple man calender project by Sachiko,

We are very lucky at Sonrisa to have a supporter like her who provides such ongoing, creative and generous support!

since few year, the apple man calendar and this year, another with recipes.  We are the ones who are lucky because of your clever ideas!  Thank you so much for this and for selling the calendars.  Because you have been here with us, you know how important the money raised from it is.  And you know that it will be spent to make life better for the children.  We hope you feel a lot of satisfaction knowing how much you help.

We look forward to seeing you here again some day and all say a big thank you.

Gianluca Mucerino,

We wanted to write to say thank you for our wonderful new bread oven and for thinking about us when you took your first communion ceremony. had your special ceremony.  It encourages us so much here that you thought of us and in such a practical way.  The children love the bread and Ganga and Pemla are confident to use it now that they have had some lessons.  We love the smell of the bread when it has been just cooked and feel very lucky that we have this bread maker.  Thank you very much.   Maybe one day, you will be able to come over and visit us and we can have bread together! You can tell us what is your favourite thing to have on the bread.

Lots of love from all of us here at Sonrisa

Dr. Malcolm Moore, Wendy Moore, Lance, Dona, Susan and Stephen,

I just thought that while I was here doing some paperwork which I am not always very good at doing! that I would like to say a very big thank you from all of us here for your continued support to us.  It is regular, predictable support that makes such a difference to us and means that we can plan and prepare and provide a more stable home for the children.  It is never taken for granted (even if I do not always quickly get to thank you for it) and means so much.  So, thank again for being a part of the Sonrisa family.  We are very grateful.

Love to you and all of yours family from ours.

" A family for a smile: a journey of notes from Scisciano to Kathmandu"

Ms. Ludovica ( Famiglia Serpico). Famiglia Maritato. Mr. Enjo Oliva/ Mr. Diodato Del Serbo. Mr. Gennaro E Ms. Francesca Mucerino. Ms. Maria Postoncini. Comunne Scisciano ( Mr. Raffaele Ambroisino). Famiglia Iacobelli( France, Giavanna, Marco. guialia). Famiglia Psece ( Ms. Marla. and Gruppo teatro giavano( Na) all from Italy.

…Dherai dherai dhanyabad.  Thank you so much from all of us here.