Mina Bhujel and Bert van der Heijden open a temple in Nepal

The Pearl in the landscape.
In april 2010 Mina Bjukem and Bert van der Heijden visited the projects of PTN in Nepal to open a temple, which could be achieved also thanks to their support. Many poor Nepalese people had asked Mina for this. The temple wil be used to pray and to receive blessings and hope from the templepriest. The people who visit the temple also often give gifts as Dutch people do in their church. By these gifts the temple for example can bear the cost of the cremation of poor people, the cost of a marriage, the cost of a medical operation of a poor child or an elderly.

Here below a short travelogue from Mr. Bert van der Heijden himself. Bert:”There it is! At the edge of the native village of Mina (2 hours driving from the capital Kathmandu a beautifull Hindu temple has been achieved (Nepal consists of 90% Hindu believers), in a green plain with beautifull hills and mountains in the background.
It is a Durga-temple and is built of shiny brown brick, wonderfull woodcarving where artisans have worked at for months. Inside there is a nice image of the Holy mother Durga (comparable with Mother Mary). Mina and I could open the temple on 8 april 2010. The reception was festive, hospitable and in a cheerfull mood. Everywhere happy faces. The official part had just ended and already the women of the mountain village Khopasi went in procession around the temple, to offer their honour to their holy mother Durga.

It has also been a wish of Mina that the villagers could get their Godess so close. Like that this feast is also a milestsone in the 20th anniversary of People’s Trust Netherlands. PTN achieved many projects in the past 20 years.
One of them is nearby the village Khopasi, a large refuge for the poorest children. I call it a little Baba-paradise. It has a lovely flowerfull courtyard. Nice tall spaces for a.o. eating, a tall hall for worship, singing and prayer, etc. The children I see have great fun! Since some years the refuge has been transferred to the Nepalese organisation CWIN. The 108 poor children are cared for here and get education also.

I want to end with another project of PTN that I have seen, 10 kilometer from the capitol Kathmandu. The project, a refuge for liberated girls, is situated in beautifull surroun-dings, on top of a mountain with a wonderfull view, much different from the scary capital where you can get sick of the heath and smog. The accomodation is well looked after and of course there are also here everywhere happy faces. We were shocked when one of the rescued girls told her bizarre kidnap story and the awfull rapes she underwent 3 years ago in a borthel in India and that Dirk himself rescued her then! Gita, that’s her name, can laugh again now. Gita lives in the refuge and does her exam for hairdresser/facial care in august this year! Amazing! And let’s return to the temple for a while, there’s still a wall missing around the complex where the visistors can sit against during the prayer.
Who knows! Om Sai Ram” Bert van der Heijden.

PTN hereby thanks Mina and Bert for their contribution and hope maybe one reader wants to guarantee fpr the costs of the required fence/wall.