The Love Company Orphanage!

Feel the love with the love company

Submitted by Fiona – Cumbria United Kingdom | March 26, 2016

I have just come back from volunteering at The Love Company and it was the best volunteer experience I have ever done. When you first get to Kathmandu it can be a bit unnerving as there is so much going on but as soon as I got to the hotel I had no worries at all. They were so welcoming and made sure I got on the right bus for my journey to Pokhara the next day.
Krishna was waiting at the other end for me and I was taken straight to my hotel before going to the orphanage. As soon as I got to the orphanage the children ran up to me and took my hands. It was like they had always known you. There are 16 children between the ages of 4 and 15 and they are looked after by their house mother. It was so nice to see the older ones helping out. It felt like a proper family home. One of the youngest, Simran, never stopped smiling the whole time I was there.
I had so much time with the children unlike other volunteer placements I have done. I got to take the youngest ones to school and pick them up. They are always so pleased to see you. Then I helped them with their homework before playtime and dinner. I never wanted to leave at the end of the day.
You have some free time to explore Pokhara too and every morning Krishna and his wife give you breakfast at their house.
I went to Nepal on my own not really knowing anything about the country but there is nothing to worry about. The people are so nice it’s like they are all taking care of you. If you only volunteer once then make it the Love Company Orphanage. You won’t regret it and I can’t wait to go back.
Overall Rating
10/ 10
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The Love Company Orphanage.

Volunteer at The Love Company Orphanage

Submitted by Linda – University student, Germany | February 17, 2016

I was volunteering in The Love Company Orphanage for almost 4 weeks in January/February 2016, and I can say that this was without a doubt an amazing experience. When I first arrived at the orphanage, the children came running towards me, I felt welcome from the very beginning. I took the kids to school every morning at 9:30, and picked up the younger ones at 3. In the meantime you as a volunteer have the opportunity to explore Pokhara, the lake & all the tourist hotspots. After picking up the younger ones from school, I helped them with their homework. I have never seen children who are so eager to learn – so doing homework and teaching them other things about life was always a great thing to do. After that we always had some time to just play, the kids always came up with new ideas and games. At 5:30 in the evening we had Dal Bhat (Nepal’s national dish) all together. Krishna (the orphanage owner) & his wife were very kind and served me a nice breakfast every morning in their home. We always had nice conversations and one day I even got the opportunity to learn how to cook Dal Bhat with Krishna’s wife. I can highly recommend this volunteer option to anyone who is interested in the Nepali culture & working with children. I felt that my help in the orphanage was highly appreciated . I will definitely come back again.
Overall Rating
10/ 10
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The Love Company (TLC) Nepal

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9.1 / 10 after 5 Reviews Based on overall, support & value average ratings

Program website: http://thelovenepal.org.np/nepal/

Childhome with so much love – The Love Company in Pokhara

In January my bpyfriend and I started our volunteer in Nepal at The Love Company. After a long flight we arrived in Kathmandu where we had one night before we took the bus to Pokhara where the orphanage is located. Krishan the manager of the Love Company arranged a pick up from the airport and the accommodation. Everything was really good planned and organised. After one night in Kathmandu took the bus to Pokhara.

After around 7 hours bus drive we arrived well and were friendly welcomed from Krishan, the manager and owner of the orphonage. He brought us to the guesthouse where we stayed for our volunteer time. The guesthouse was good located, only 5 minutes from the lakeside and Krishans home and 15 minutes to the childrenshome. Breakfast we always had at Krishans home and dinner at the orphanage. After some instructions we finalls went to the childrenshome. From the beginning the kids were very very lovely, nice and open minded. After a few minutes we already felt in love with them. They are all very happy, healthy and thankful for living at the orphanage.

Our tasks were bringing kids to school in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon, helping them with homework and enjoying freetime together with different games. Moreover we prepared the garden for growing their own vegetables and supported other upcoming works at the orphonage. It was always a good a atmosphere between the kids and the staff and we enjoyed every second with these lovelies. We laughed a lot and had a really great and unforgetable time together. All kids are so happy and healthy and that is the most important point.

It was a wonderful experience for which we are very very thankful. We really can recommend volunteering at this place. We also think about to repeat it. Thanks to Krishan, the staff and the kids for this unforgetable time.

Program:

Volunteer Abroad

Location:

Nepal

Posted: March 19, 2015

Overall:

9

Support:

9

Value:

9

By: OlliSvenni

Age:

26

An Amazing volunteering experience!

Pokhara Orphanage……this was my best experience that I have ever get, and I can tell the happiest moments that I shared with the children during my life. Still I remember my first time, my first seconds in here. When I came in the orphanage all children ran with their big hugs and smiles. They were so happy and beautiful. They are amazing almost I would have cried when I saw their big love to everyone I won’t never forget here and there beautiful children. I really wish to stay longer. Every time I was so happy to have stay longer. I will recommend to everyone, come and see these children share love. Because all we need that only Love. Thank you so much Krishna and The Love Company Orphanage family giving me the opportunity to serve these adorable children!!!

Hacer/ Turkey

28 August 20th

I first contacted Mr. Krishna Pokhrel during the month of May to volunteer in the orphanage during the month of August. He was very pleased to hear from me and really helpful in all the doubts that I had about the country, the program and the children.

A few days before leaving home, I had to change my flight date due to overbooking, so I told Krishna as a friend of his had to pick me up at the airport in Kathmandu. At first I was worried about arriving to Kathmandu and having no one to pick me up because of the flight changes. I realized that I had nothing to worry about when Krishna’s friend was waiting for me outside the airport. As Krishna told me, I would spend one night in Kathmandu then take a bus to Pokhara the following morning.

When I arrived to Pokhara, Krishna was waiting for me in the bus station, he brought me to the hotel where I would be staying for the duration of the program and then to his house, where I was welcomed as a new family member by him and his wife. He explained to me everything about the program that I didn’t know; we talked about the children, about the city of Pokhara and much more. He told me about the difficulties they had to maintain the orphanage. They are in real need of help, not only volunteers, but also financial help.

The main problem is that a big part of the volunteers that help in the orphanage come from bigger organizations, which means that the program fee that they pay doesn’t go directly to the children. So the best way to do it is to contact directly with Krishna or with The Love Company. I was told that with the program fee that I paid, I was not only covering my needs during the stay (Accommodation, food etc…) but it also covered the nutrition of the children for a whole month and health care too (purchasing medicine). When Krishna talks about the children you can realize how much he loves those kids and that he really cares about them.

The first day that I went to the orphanage I was surprised by the way that the children received me, they all came to me and started to give me hugs and they all had their biggest smile on their face. This made me realize how valuable my presence was for the children. They have tons of love for the volunteers and anyone that comes into the orphanage.

The afternoons with the children where great and really fun! First they have to do their homework. Some children have difficulties with their homework and they are really grateful if you give them a little help with it, it is really enriching to see them learn and progress. After their homework is done it is super fun to play with the children, boys love play-fighting with volunteers and the girls love dancing and singing.  Here children are so different from what I am used to back home. Every simple game or joke you make brings tons of joy to them; they make games out of anything as they have lots of imagination.

Helping those children not only with my presence but with all their daily needs makes it a life changing experience. Volunteering for The Love Company really makes a difference on those children, but financial help can make it too!

Santiago Mosteiro, SPAIN

Volunteer Alexander Gomm with the children at The Love Company Orphanage!!!

Excellent Volunteer Opportunity

• Volunteer Experience

  10

• Program Administration

  10

• Living Situation

  10

• Community Impact

  10

• Health and Safety

  10

• Social Life

  10

As many of you know, Emma and I just spent 2 1/2 weeks volunteering at an orphanage in Nepal. Thanks to some of the most incredible people we have ever met, we had the most amazing trip that even surpassed our expectations. The trip took many twists and turns and we wound up spending most of our time in Pokhara rather than our originally scheduled project. Since Emma never wanted to leave, we cancelled our touring and stayed at the orphanage. I think fate (or, as Krishna said, the universe) brought us to The Love Company Orphanage. Once we get settled back into our lives here, I will post more pictures. But, in the meantime, thank you to Krishna Pokhrel and Santosh Lamsal for all that you did for us and all that you do for the children of Nepal. It was amazing to see how the children at The Love Company Orphanage, all of whom had such troubled beginnings, are so happy and healthy and filled with such love. They truly are a family there and it is all thanks to you. Emma and I (and the rest of the Allegretti family) look forward to continue working together with you. I really hope that, together, we can expand the wonderful work you are doing in Pokhara to help even more children and to start an animal rescue program and more help for the elderly. Since Emma cried for hours after leaving, we can’t wait to see you all again soon!

Jill Allegretti

USA

My time here in Pokhara so far (5 weeks) has been absolutely wonderful both at the orphanage and all around it. I have never been to a community that is so trusting and honest; it is the perfect place for first time travellers who are getting out of their comfort zone. It is very safe everywhere, even at night, and everything is close by so it’s not hard to get all of the essentials that you need.

I had some communication complications between the organization who sent me here and Krishna, so everything was put together very last minute. Despite the time constraint of only 2-3 days of notice that I was coming, Krishna organized late-night pickup for me from the airport, a hotel in Kathmandu, a bus ride to Pokhara, and a hotel for me to stay in by the time I got there. When you’re arriving in a foreign country very late, having everything all set up is more than any traveller could ask for.

Krishna and his wife, Parbati, really treat you like family while you are in their country. They understand that there are many cultural differences that you are not accustomed to and they try their best to accommodate you in any way possible. They will also take you on trips to the market place or to places with beautiful views, as well as help arrange things like treks and trips to farther places in Nepal.

As for the orphanage, the kids are wonderful. Aside from being super cute, they are very responsible for their age and get joy out of very simple things that most first-world children don’t. They have the imaginations of the early 90s kids and anyone before them because they do not rely on technology for entertainment. They love to do things like go for picnics in the park, make superhero masks out of paper, and play games that involve competition. They sometimes need help with homework and learning English and it is always fun to help them with both. Luxuries that they enjoy are chicken, popcorn, candy, toy cars for the boys, and makeup for the girls. Those items are easy to buy and cheap from a volunteer’s perspective, so it is nice to buy it for them every once in a while (but not too often!).

Being at the orphanage provides a learning experience not only for the children, but also for yourself as a volunteer. You can learn so much from being around the children and see something that you maybe thought was long gone from your own society. It has been such a refreshing experience for me so far and for the remainder of my stay (3 weeks) I only expect to learn more and come home with great memories and new friendships.

If you are concerned about ending up at a “bad” orphanage, I can definitely say that this one checks out. The children are treated very well, their living situation is good, and their bellies are always full. Krishna really wants to help the kids and see them learn whenever possible. He likes them to play games and do activities where they learn as much as possible to help them in their future.

So, all-in-all, I would highly recommend volunteering with this specific orphanage. The time they need volunteers the most is during the winter (November-March). They have been lucky enough to get solar panels and a water filter installed by one of the volunteers, but they are still in need of financial support for things like food and rent. So come help out whenever possible and you’ll get an amazing experience out of it!

If anyone has any personal questions they’d like to ask me, feel free to contact me here.

Volunteering at Love Company, Pokhara
Oct 2013
I have always wanted to volunteer abroad in an orphanage. I narrowed down my orphanage search and contacted Master Krishna of Love Company located in Pokhara. Upon working out on logistic and time, my friend and I took the 6.5hours bus from Kathmandu and arrived at Pokhara. We were warmly welcomed by Master Krishna, who then introduced us to the orphanage and shared about his work with the children. As it was coincidently the big Dashian festival in the country, children were picked up by their relatives, with the exception of a 6 year old boy who was recently brought to the orphanage from the street.  Master Krishna and his wife had generously brought the boy along to their relatives to celebrate the festival, and got him a new jacket, keeping him warm from the pouring rain and chilly weather. For a week my friend and I stayed with the children, aged between 3 to 13 from different backgrounds. We helped with letters and numbers, songs and games, arts and craft, and of course snacks and ice cream. Children in the orphanage are very intelligent, and deserve the same cuddles, hugs, attention, love, assurance, and praise. One often embarks on an outreach experience like this hoping and thinking to help and contribute, but I have to say that this past week leaves me feeling that the biggest contribution was made in one’s own life. It had been an amazing one week experience staying and learning with the children.
Sem and Sherine, Oct 2013 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hello Master Krishna

Please find below a paragraph I prepared in Chinese from my one week experience w/ Love Company. Let me know if you want it in English. Sherine will be emailing you the Malay language version. Have a nice evening

博卡拉義工經驗分享2013年10月
一 直以來，我都非常渴望能在海外的育幼院從事義工服務。這次我找到了位於博卡拉這個小鎮上的Love Company,並且和院長Krishna取得了聯繫。當一切事務聯絡就緒，我就動身去博卡拉這個離加德滿都大約6.5小時巴士車程的小鎮。抵達之後，受 到Krishna院長的熱烈歡迎，他詳細的帶領我參觀了育幼院和了解他們幫助孩子們的工作。因為剛好適逢最大的Dashian節慶，很多孩子們都被他們的 親戚接回家過節，除了一個剛剛被帶回來的六歲街童男孩。Krishna院長和他的妻子很慷慨的帶著這個孩子和他自己的家人一起過節，還為他添置了一件外 套，讓他不至在這個又濕又冷的節期挨凍。我在育幼院裡待了一個禮拜左右的時間，孩子們從3歲到13歲都有，個個來自不同的背景。我們帶著孩子們認字，數 數，唱歌，遊戲，做美勞手工，當然 少不了的吃點心和冰淇淋。這些孩子們都很聰明，和所有其他的孩子們一樣，他們也都需要大人們的擁抱和關愛，肯定與讚美。常常人們在當義工的時候會希望自己 能夠幫助別人，貢獻自己所得。但是我必須要說，在過去的這個禮拜和 與孩子們在一起的時光,豐滿充實了更多的，是我自己的生命。
-Sem
來自馬來西亞吉隆坡

Bonnie Ohne Kleid

The most important part of my Nepal trip was volunteering at the orphanage, as this was my soul goal for visiting the country, but having arrived i found that there were other great aspects such as the abundance of beautiful scenery and the diverse activities available for volunteers and tourists. In addition of the beauty of the country the kindness of the people was greatly humbling, everyone was friendly and always willing to help.

Volunteering:

My intentions for volunteering was to provide a difference in the lives of those that may be be more unfortunate then me. Having chose the love company, it was evident from the start that there was a warm environment provided to both the volunteers and the orphans. The two house mothers in charge of the orphans were great, they provided a very happy environment for the children. I was happy to see that the children were living relatively comfortably, obviously this only being the case due to donations. Although financial aid is crucial in the running of the orphanage (without so i do not think the great environment provided by the love company could be provided), i believe educational aid is of greater importance, this i could not provide for the children. Although the children had an eagerness to learn, having no teaching experience it was difficult to provide them with my intended ambitions.

All in all it was a good experience, there is a fair amount of free time where you can go out and see Pokhara, personally i would recommend that if you visit to go with a friend , i was fortunate enough to have another volunteer there with me.

Thanks you for everything,
Abdul

Namaste,