PRISONERS ASSISTANCE NEPAL

PA NEPAL

“giving prisoners and their children a better today and a brighter future” 

PA Nepal Mission Statement

PA Nepal’s mission is to rid prisons of unnecessary suffering and hardship, in particular the suffering experienced by innocent children and prisoners who are poor and disadvantaged. It wants to help transform prisons into places that work to help prisoners build worthwhile and rewarding futures. 

Name of the Children taking care from PA Nepal.

Background

PA Nepal was established in year 2000. Although it is a relatively new organization, it represents, through the work of its chairperson Ms Indira Ranmagar, a continuation of the prison welfare work that was started by the renowned writer and human rights activist Parizat in the early 1990s. Ms Ranamagar worked in Nepali jails with Parizat and has continued the work since then. Her knowledge of prison conditions and the problems prisoners face, particularly in the female jail, is considerable. PA Nepal  provides a  home for children who would otherwise be in jail with a  convicted parent. Eleven children have been living in the home for over a year. PA Nepal is active in its support for the children who remain in jail and for the prisoners, particularly the prisoners in the female central jail. It is currently running a programme of skills training and income generating activities in the female jail, in collaboration with Danish social workers supported by the Danish Embassy.

Current Developments

PA Nepal has entered a new phase in its development with the creation of a smaller working committee led by Ms Ranamagar and a move to a new home in Lainchur.

The working committee is made up of Shyam Shrestha (retired engineer ands philanthropist), Gagan Gurung (a Co-Trustee of the Himalayan Kingdom Foundation Trust); Shiva Chaulagain (an accountant with many years of experience working for NGOs) and Govinda Panta (local entrepeneur and social activist).

 The organization is indebted to the outgoing chairman and treasurer for their work over the past year and for the  current situation.

PA Nepal has a close working association with HEART Nepal, another welfare organization that is chaired by Ms Ranamagar. 

HEART Nepal has been able to raise and safeguard funds to support the PA Nepal children’s home. These funds are now being used in the new home in Lainchur

The new home.

The PA Nepal children’s home is situated in a quiet street in Lainchur. This central location means that visits for the children to parents in jail are easy to organize.  It  is well situated for shopping, educational and recreational facilities.   It is a ground floor flat with a compound outside.  There is a large common room, two large bedrooms, a kitchen with an adjoining eating and recreation area. The flat has modern washing and toilet facilities.

The Children in the home

There are now 11 children in the home, 7 girls and 4 boys aged between 5 and 9 years of age. They have all come from the central jails in Kathmandu where their parents are serving long prison sentences. The most recent arrival is Santi Lama (5 years), who came from the Central Female Jail only two weeks ago. Jyoti Basnet (8 years) and  Bishal Basnet (6 years)  were the first children to come to the home. Bishal had been born in the female prison and then was brought up by his father in the mens prison after his mother died. Other children in the home are sisters Sabita and Bimala Lama (7 and 9 years), Jeevan Lama (8 years), Nima Weiba (7 years), Dhan Singh Lama (6 years), Susma  Shrestha (7 years), Sushila Nepali (7 years) and Sangeeta Pariyar (9 years).

The home has a resident housemother (Shova Devi Magar) and two helpers (Lagpa  Sherpa and Min Kumari Pahadi)

Over the past year all the children have attended a school in Ichungu. Their enrollment in Shanti Griha Government school in Lainchur is now being arranged.

Over the past year students attending CVICT courses (CVICT is a prisoner welfare and human rights NGO) in child counseling have been undertaking short term placements in the PA Nepal home

The Prison Projects

PA Nepal is working alongside two Danish social workers, Anne Malinovsky and Lene Griggs,  in providing skills training in the Central Female Jail. Four tutors are currently working in the jail and classes are being run in knitting, tailoring and sewing. Literacy classes are also being run.  It is expected that  the programme will develop further in the future with items produced in the jail being marketed and sold and with the creation of a Prisoner Welfare Fund

The project is financed by a fund made available by the Danish Embassy and this fund is managed by Anne and Lene.

Other activities in the prison include providing clothing and nutritional food for the under five children in prison. Support is also given to the poorest women prisoners by providing for their basic needs.

PA Nepal also helps women reintegrate into society upon their release.

Plans

The most pressing need of the organization is to establish a firm financial basis so that it can continue to run the children’s home. This will be the major focus of activities in the immediate future.

PA Nepal is  hoping to a begin a project to provide help to the mentally ill in jail.  It plans to do this with the assistance of VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas UK)

Funds

The estimated monthly budget for the children’s home is 35,000 NC (nepali rupees)

At the moment PA Nepal has only 15,000 NC but this will be immediately supplemented by a payment of 95,300 NC from HEART Nepal. This is money donated to the children in the home by, amongst others, Cora Yee (60,000 NC) and  Ludwig and Luci Debuck and friends (27,900) 

Alexander Barone and friends have pledged a monthly donation of 10,000 NC and Reliance Training has pledged 5,000 NC

At the moment we are lack of sources of fund to give various facilities to the children ! If anyone interested to conrtibute to the children please contact.

Contact :

Postal address:

PO Box 14459 Kathmandu,  Nepal.

Telephone: (Off) +977-1-429590 (Res) +977-1-412478

Govinda Panta +977-1-360577

 Web site :  Http ://www.oocities.org/pa_nepal2000

Email : pa_nepal2000@yahoo.com