Anniversary: 25 years of Clinic Nepal

20 years of Förderkreis Friendship Clinic Nepal e.V. and 25 years of Clinic Nepal – a moving celebration in Meghauli with 200 guests from all over the world.

Annual members' meeting

On the occasion of the annual members' meeting of the “Förderkreis Friendship Clinic Nepal e.V.”, members from Freiburg and Hari Bhandary, the founder of “Clinic Nepal”, met on 13 November 2022 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Clinic Nepal”. Hari Bhandary reported on the celebrations that were held this October in Meghauli, Nepal:

Two large engraved boulders were installed in front of the clinic building to commemorate its founding in 1997. The large stones were donated by the town of Muglin, which lies at a road junction between Kathmandu and Meghauli, and were brought to Meghauli on a tractor. The small stones in which the large stones are embedded symbolise the help among individual people who, through the Clinic Nepal project, became a firm international community – large and firm like the large stones.

The names of the most important supporters from the founding years are engraved on the stone, including Dr. Andrea and Dr. Jan Harder, who were still living in Freiburg at the time. Andrea and Jan Harder were the second doctors to work as volunteers in the clinic after the completion of the clinic building. In 2002, together with friends, they founded the “Förderkreis Friendship Clinic Nepal e.V.” in Freiburg. This year its 20th anniversary is already being celebrated! Hari Bhandary told of many events and encounters that inspired him to found and build the clinic and that have enabled him to make the project successful over the years. These include German and international doctors, diplomats and socially committed helpers.

The foundation stone of the clinic in Meghauli had been laid in March 1997. Some international guests who had taken part in the laying of the foundation stone were also at the 25th anniversary celebration in Nepal in October, and of course representatives of the Nepalese parliament and the local administration. In total, 200 guests were present at the anniversary celebration. Above all many residents of Meghauli and the surrounding area, but also representatives of the English scouts, as well as guests from Dortmund, the USA, England and Thailand. It was a colourful festival with food, music and traditional dance. Before the 25th anniversary celebration, the invited guests visited all the projects: kindergartens, water project, solar project, scouts, children's home,.... On a safari in Chitwan National Park, rhinoceroses, alligators, deer and monkeys, and even a Bengal tiger, could be seen up close. That was a very special event.

Report by Hari Bhandary on current and new projects

The kitchen in the Daldale children's hostel burned down in October of this year due to an electrical short circuit. It is now being rebuilt and will be extended with sanitary facilities and a common room. About 40 thousand euros are needed for the solid new building. 20 thousand euros have already been raised through donations. Insurance is also planned for the new building. At present, with 33 children in the hostel, there is less occupancy than before the COVID pandemic.

The two anniversaries – 20 years of the Freiburg Förderkreis and 25 years of Clinic Nepal – were duly celebrated at the annual meeting with a drink and Nepalese “nibbles”.

Another project is the purchase of a new ambulance patient transport vehicle. All other activities – clinic, kindergarten, children's home, scouts, health camps, water project, solar project – will continue as usual.

For a defective Siemens ultrasound machine, 2 spare parts are needed for about 10,000 euros. At the Freiburg Christmas market, the “Clinic Nepal” stand will be to the right of the old town hall every Saturday and Sunday from 26 November 2022. Sirjana Bhandary and Suman Poudel will answer questions about the Clinic Nepal projects there, collect donations and sell items from Nepal, the proceeds of which benefit the projects.