The Human Welfare Committee Story

Nepal, 2015: A severe earthquake shook the country, unemployment rose and many families became homeless as a result. Tenzing Gurung, who grew up in a monastery in the capital Kathmandu, recognised the neediness of these families. He founded a daycare centre to offer children a programme during the day and relieve the burden of constant childcare on parents. In 2017, Tenzing and his cousin Tsondue then officially founded the Human Welfare Committee, an NGO that works for children and families from poor backgrounds. 

Since 2017, the Human Welfare Committee had been running Manang Preschool and its associated children's home. As the director, Tenzing, founder of the HWC, had mainly carried the entire responsibility for the preschool alone. Due to staffing difficulties and increasing financial constraints, the Manang Preschool had to be closed in March 2020 at the end of the school term. The children's home (as well as the Women Empowerment programme) continued to be run by the HWC. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, virtually all sources of financial income dried up (guest rooms for international volunteers, jewellery sales, yoga and meditation classes, donations), but monthly expenses remained the same. During the lockdown, there were even several months with no income at all. This meant that the - already small - savings - had to be used up.

Thanks mainly to the resumption of international volunteers' stays and the support of Bright Future Nepal, the HWC's financial situation has improved. This means that the upkeep of the children's house and the Women Empowerment programme can be secured. Currently, the children's house accommodates six children. These children either no longer have relatives or cannot grow up safely with their relatives. The children's home is therefore currently much smaller than it used to be and is like a small family. In addition to the management, two women are employed to do the housework. Nevertheless, the children are very independent and help out a lot with the house chores. In addition, the HWC also offers Women Empowerment programmes. Currently, this includes jewellery making, sewing, baking and cooking. We follow the concept of helping people to help themselves and do not only want to offer courses, but also create employment opportunities.

To ensure the long-term success of our work, we still rely on your help. Thank you very much for your interest and support!