Action Packed Monthly Parents Meeting at Children’s Paradise

Last Saturday GVI and Children’s Paradise held their 3^rd meeting for parents with children with disabilities. Since GVI has been working with Children’s Paradise we decided that it was so important for the parents to meet, chat and ask for information and advice. By holding this meeting the parents can come and receive new ideas, council each other and  to ask questions to staff and volunteers.

Our last meeting which was put together by Ade and Adele was about different activities and about spending quality time with their child. Buntty along with GVI decided that it would be good to see if the parents had been using the ideas from the last presentation and to help the parents if they were struggling with any activities. The whole morning was packed with activities; colour stones and cards, sorting chick peas and peas, domestic and wild animals and the messy activity of moving coloured water from one bowl to another with a syringe. It was great to see all the parents working with their children and hopefully this will be carried on at home.

Volunteer Hunter having fun with the kids!

We also had some parents whose children also suffer from disabilities but who have worked on these exact activities and have since seen a great improvement in their child. They could offer vital advice, tips, and guidance to the new parents who have been finding it hard. It was also a chance for the teachers of Children’s Paradise to talk about certain aspects of each of the child’s school work.

After breaking for some yummy dal bhat – we decided that we would all want to rest, but Buntty had other ideas. Out came the balloons and the competition began.  I have to say this was the craziest and most funny game I have played and now all new volunteers who arrive will have this as a little ice breaker!

I have been so happy with our monthly meetings and I feel that if we didn’t have this assistance for the parents and children, I’m not sure we would see as much improvement at school. Yes, we still have battles with getting families to spend just 10 minutes with their children and for the stigma that comes with disabilities, but we are making a difference and hopefully with time Nepal will come to have a better knowledge about children with disabilities. The volunteers get to meet the parents of the children they are working with at school and can see that some families struggle but can also offer support and a friendly smile to show we are all working in the same direction! 

Ruth Malthouse

Action Packed Monthly Parents Meeting at Children’s Paradise