As I began my journey to my first placement at the Bal Mandir Infant Orphanage I wasn’t sure what to expect. I started off on a very crowded Micro bus where I quickly learned the ways of traveling locals. Then a somewhat chaotic exchange onto a larger bus that took me the rest of the way to Bal Mamndir. Once used to the dusty roads and wild traffic, traveling with the locals was pretty fun and has made me feel very independent.

Approaching Bal Mandir, I can see the large building in which they used to inhabit. A large, beautiful structure, once owned by royalty until it was donated to become the largest run government orphanage in Nepal. Because of the devastating earthquake in 2014, the building has been severely damaged and deemed unsafe for the children to live in.  For now, the children are set up in temporary housing behind the original orphanage. From what I can see there is a room for the toddlers, infants and they’re “caretakers”, a room for the older boys, a room for the older girls, a cafeteria and a classroom. The housing I work in is the infant center, which is a room split into two sides, one with beds for the toddlers and one with cribs and blankets for the infants.

The blankets are rarely washed, and because most of the babies are sick, they are covered in snot, vomit and often feces as well. Because the permanent care takers for the infants do not want too much laundry, the babies often wear the same clothes for days at a time (though there are piles upon piles of donated clothes available). Additionally, when changing nappies (which are a very thin layer of burlap) we are asked to wipe the baby only with the dirty diaper, in order to avoid extra laundry. Because the diapers are such a thin material, anytime the infants wet them it leaks through onto their bed, blankets or the floor… which doesn’t get cleaned either. One of the volunteers bought some reusable, washables nappies that don’t leak, but the next day when we came back all of the new nappies had disappeared. It is still not clear if they were taken home, sold, or simply thrown away. Because of the dirty blankets, the room is infested with flies that culminate the babies cribs. Because the caretakers spend most of their day napping outside on the trampoline, the other volunteers and I have requested permission to bring our own buckets and soap and wash the blankets and clothes ourselves. I am very eager to report back next week with good news regarding clean and happy babies.