Frequently Asked Question
 

>> VOLUNTEER / VISITOR QUESTIONS
>> SPONSORSHIP / DONATION / FUND-RAISING QUESTIONS
>> HOUSEHOLD & GENERAL QUESTIONS 
>> ADMINISTRATION QUESTIONS 

VOLUNTEER / VISITOR QUESTIONS

1) Can anybody visit the orphanage?
>> Yes, Everybody can visit; they are heartily welcome to come see our house, meet our children and see how our home runs. 

2) Is there a fee to come volunteer at NCH?
>> Yes, there is a $300/month program fee and $150 for next month onwards, that covers your board at the guesthouse and the two meals at the orphanage. You may also have to pay a small additional set fee to cover the costs of having internet provided at the guesthouse. Please see the Application section of the website for more information and specifics about this. 

3) Can two people come together to volunteer?
>> Absolutely. As long as you both apply and come at a time when there is room for two (there may be a limit to how many people can volunteer at one time, due to space constraints). In the past couples have come together as well as pairs of friends.  

4) What are some of the responsibilities of a volunteer?
>> Volunteers are responsible for helping keep the website text and the children's bios up to date. They will also be responsible at some point for helping to send updated information to the children's sponsors.
>> Volunteers are also expected to get involved in daily household life--helping the kids get ready for school, washing clothes or dishes or kids, cooking or cleaning, or helping during daily class time.
>> Finally, volunteers often find that they want to work on a particular project of their own (see Q7).

 5) What are some special projects volunteers have done in the past?
>> Volunteers are encouraged to be creative in terms of what they would like to contribute--giving music lessons on guitar; leading art classes, English classes, and computers classes; planting and tending a garden at the guesthouse; painting murals; and filming some footage for a documentary. These are all things that past volunteers have chosen to put time into.  

6) Where do the volunteers (and sometimes visitors) stay?
>> The volunteers stay at a small, comfy guesthouse that is a ten minute walk from NCH. Some of the staff also stays there. Rooms at the guesthouse are also available to rent for other travelers and visitors. Please contact us if you are interested in renting a room. 

7) What is the guesthouse like?
>> It is quaint and pretty, with lots of bougainvillea hanging over the front. It has a second floor veranda with tables and chairs for reading, getting sun and chatting. There are rooms with private bath or without, a big beautiful garden and a small kitchen. There is 24-hour hot water available for showers. Also small office room with computer and Internet.  

8) What is there to do in Pokhara?
>> Pokhara is a bustling little tourist city. Pokhara provides all kinds of opportunities for the adventurous--paragliding, biking, mountain trekking, kayaking, and more. Also, many relaxing options--boating on the lake; hot springs nearby; waterfalls, rivers and caves to see; and temples and monasteries to visit. There is lots of great shopping as well, and prices are very good.

 9) What kinds of restaurants are there in Pokhara?
>> There are literally dozens of great restaurants where you can eat Italian, Mexican, Indian, American or Nepali foods. As you eat dinner at the local restaurants, you can watch the sunset reflecting in the lake and on the mountains, you can see traditional dancing and singing, or you can watch a movie. 

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SPONSORSHIP / DONATION / FUND-RAISING QUESTIONS

1) How can I help?
>> There are many ways to be of help. Our mission is not limited to just the 50 children who live in our home—we also have a sponsorship program and a new Help Hotline. Ultimately we believe if we all help a little, we can make a great change in the world. You can help by sponsoring a child at NCH orphanage; sponsoring a scholarship kid; making a donation to grant a wish for someone on the Help Hotline; donating to our general fund; donating or holding a donation drive for clothing, English books, or other supplies; giving/raising money for some specific purpose for the children. 

2) How do I sponsor a child?
>> Becoming a child sponsor is a wonderful way to support NCH and the family. If you are interested in sponsoring or want more information about this, please check the Help section of the website or contact our American sister organization at namastechildrenshouse@hotmail.com and Isle of Man, British at johnrileyiom@hotmail.com 

3) What does it mean to sponsor a child?
>> Sponsoring a child involves a donation of USD $1000 annually. This amount can be paid monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or in one lump sum at a given point during the year. Many sponsors choose to share this financial responsibility as a family, a club or an organization. As a sponsor you will receive quarterly updates about your specific child and the life of the orphanage.

4) After sponsoring a child how long do I have to support?
>> Since your support is the main source of our organization, we ask for long-term support. You can choose from 6 and 12 year support program.

5) What if I can't afford to fully sponsor a child?
>> This is a good question. USD $1000 is a lot of money for one person. One-time donations are also, of course, highly appreciated. Sometimes donors are interested in raising or giving money for a specific project. In the past organizations have done this for a washing machine and some interest has been shown for raising funds to buy a vehicle for NCH.
>> Another possibility is that of a half-sponsorship, USD $500 per year. For more information about this possibility, please email our sister organization in the USA, at namastechildrenshouse@hotmail.com and Isle of Man, British at johnrileyiom@hotmail.com 

6) Can I sponsor a child that has already been sponsored?
>> Usually we ask you to sponsor a non-sponsored child. If you are extremely intent on sponsoring a particular child, then we will ask the other sponsor and send you the decision. 

7) How can I donate money?
>> You can either go to a bank and deposit the money into the NCH account (See the Contact page of the website for more information) or you can directly donate through our website using the Pay Pal account or donate to our nearer sister organization.

8) Can I raise funds for the orphanage?
>> Yes, that would be fantastic. However, before doing so, you have to communicate with our main office and get approval of your fund-raising activity. Your small effort can make change to the lives of children.

9) What are some of the most recent needs of NCH?
>> Some recent needs of NCH are a vehicle and musical instruments. 

Q10) What are things that the orphanage always needs?
>> We always need clothes, medicines (general medical supplies like band-aids, antiseptic, cough syrup, etc are always needed), English books, stationery and office supplies, and English as a Second Language (ESL) materials, children’s video/cassette/CD educational and entertainment materials, electronic goods, baby supplies, toys, art supplies.

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 HOUSEHOLD & GENERAL QUESTIONS 

1) What does “Namaste” mean?
>> Namaste means, “That which is divine in me honors that which is divine in you.”  It is also a greeting and salutation or a goodbye, and generally connotes respect. 

2) Where do the kids go to school?
>> The kids go to a government (public) school two blocks away from NCH. Two of the NCH staff go with them to school to help as teachers because the school, like most in Nepal, is understaffed. 

3) What is the daily schedule at the orphanage?
>> The kids wake up at around 6am, eat a small breakfast and have morning class from 6:30 to 8:30. They then have their big morning meal, and get ready for school. The kids are in school from 10am to 1,3 or 4pm depending on their class. The older kids have a longer school day. They have snacks when they arrive home and free play time until 5:30 when they have another two hours of class/homework time in the orphanage. They have evening meal at 7:30 and then get ready for bed around 8:30 or 9. They go to school six days a week and have Saturdays off. On Saturdays they have more free time and they also do a lot of chores around the house. 

4) What kinds of foods do Nepalese eat?
>> The main food that Nepalese eat is "dal-bhat and tarkari," or rice, lentils and curry (spiced of course to taste). This is the staple of any Nepali diet and they usually eat it at least twice a day! Some other great Nepali foods are, roti, momos—fried or steamed, veg or buff (yes, buffalo).  

5) How are the children selected to live at NCH?
>> The children are selected through an application process. We review the applications, go for field visits to document the living conditions of child, and the selection committee discusses the report. The decision is finalized after getting the approval of the committee, the paperwork is completed and the child is brought to the house. On occasion, we have brought a child directly from field or from road when his/her living condition was very miserable. 

6) What are the requirements of children to stay at the orphanage?
>> Applications are considered from children who are poor and orphaned/abandoned or living in an at-risk situation. 

7) How old are the children living at NCH?
>> Officially, we accept children aged 3-10 years old; however, when the situation is dire, we do not consider the age. The children at NCH range in age from infant to 14 years old. 

8) What do the children do on holidays?
>> During the holidays we usually have special activities planned--drawing, singing, games, competitions (like singing and dancing), outings, new foods and sometimes sweets, dancing, and more. During the main festival holidays we take as many children as we can to their respective relatives’ houses for a short visit. 

9) How long are the children able to stay at orphanage (to what age)?
>> Children are taken care of up to the age of 18, or until they obtain their School-Leaving Certificate. After that, those children who are interested and have done well in school are helped to further their studies and others are given vocational training so they can earn money for living.

10) What are some of the health concerns and what is your approach to supplying the necessary treatments?
>> To begin with, the children are given a healthy and balanced diet, according to our menu which you can see on our website. When the children arrive, their total health is checked, and, typically, some dis-worming and primary vaccination is given to the child. The children shower twice per week. The staff are trained with first aid training, so treatment of minor injuries is done in the house. For further treatment, we have an agreement with the large hospital in Pokhara and the children are brought there for treatment at reduced cost. 

11) What are the household sleeping arrangements?
>> We have 10’ by 10’ bedrooms, which each sleep 6 to 8 children. There is one large bedroom which sleeps 12 girls. All the kids sleep in bunk beds.
>>There are 7 staff members who sleep at the house as well—two house mommies and three house sisters, as well as one guard/uncle. 

12) How can I get more information about the NCH children and the organization?
>> Thanks for your interest. To get more information please e-mail: namastechildrenhouse@yahoo.com or namastechildrenshouse@hotmail.com or johnrileyiom@hotmail.com or  if possible, come visit our house in Pokhara!! We are always ready and available to answer your queries.  

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ADMINISTRATION QUESTIONS 

1) How does funding work for NCH?
>> Namaste Children House recently became an independent organization and we now draw funding from a whole host of local and international sources. A large part of the funding is based on individual child sponsorships.

2) What is the philosophy of the organization?
>> The organization is established with the belief that by working together we can accomplish everything. We are able to continue our work through the support of people like you whose small effort can make a huge difference in the lives of children.

3) How are the accounts managed?
>> The accounts are kept in double entry book keeping system with international accounting system, both on paper and the computer by our senior accountant, then checked by the house In-charge and the Executive Director.

4) What is the management procedure of the house?
>> The household is run by the qualified and dedicated staff, under the leadership of the Executive Director. There is a monthly staff meeting to review the household needs and activities. There is also a monthly children meeting for the kids to talk about their needs and feelings and for the staff to inform the children of upcoming events.
>> The levels of administration, from highest to lowest, are: Board, Executive Director Advisory Committee and House Management Committee, House Manager. A quarterly progress report is made to NCH Board, which oversees the Executive Director. The house is supervised and monitored by the House Management Committee. The Board takes suggestions and advice of Advisory committee and makes decisions for the welfare of the organization.

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