The Jumla Project - In April 2009, we accepted the responsibility to care for fifteen impoverished blind children who lived in an isolated region of the Karnali River Valley. We moved by faith and within two weeks the Lord gave us the first year's budget. Our dream is to build a place where these children can be cared for and where we can establish a ministry base for an entire region of northwest Nepal.

Read the 1st Jumla Project Newsletter

Watch the Jumla Project Video

Ganesh Devkota - Ganesh is from Humla, an extremely remote and poor area of northwest Nepal. He is eighteen years old and has completed his ninth level of study. Ganesh has been blind since he was one year old. He is from a family of farmers and once each year a family member comes to Jumla to take him home for a visit. The monthly income for his entire family of ten is about $30. Life in this remote region is extremely harsh. His dream is to attend school at a higher level and he hopes one day to teach the blind. Like everyone in the Jumla area, Ganesh is from a Hindu background and at first he was hostile to the Gospel. He became a Christian in 2007 through the patient witness of one of his blind classmates. SPONSOR GANESH

Basanti Kafle - Basanti is thirteen years old (2009) and is from a family of six who literally do not have food to eat during certain times of the year. She has completed four levels of school. Basanti is from an area in the Jumla district where the climate is arid and the soil rocky. Because they have so little land her family simply does without between crops. It is common for people to starve in west Nepal when there is too little or too much rain. Common crops in these high altitude valleys are wheat, barley and potatoes. Most farmers try to rotate two crops per year which has exhausted the soil. Basanti has completed four years of school. She accepted the Lord in 2008 and after seeing the change in her, her family members are very interested in the Gospel. SPONSOR BASANTI

Laxmiram Rawot - Laximiran is fifteen years old (2009) and has completed seven years of school. He was born blind and shared that when he was young, people often despised him because of his handicap. Now that he can read using braille he is well respected. Nepal has an extremely high illiteracy rate and some of our blind children who have become believers will read from their braille Bibles to the older villagers who cannot read. Even by Nepali standards his family is extremely poor and no one has come from his family to visit him in the hostel. Laximaran's family has not opposed him in accepting the Lord and have told him that they too want to become believers. SPONSOR LAXMIRAM

Shanti Rokaya - Shanti is thirteen years old (2009) and has completed seven years of school. She was born blind in one eye but when she was three years old she fell off the roof of her house onto a pile of firewood and lost her good eye. The homes in northwest Nepal are almost always flat roofed. They are constructed with a frame of heavy hand-hewn timber that is overlayed with flat stones and packed earth. Accidents of children falling off the roof are common. Shanti is from a family of eight and her family has not hindered her from becoming a Christian. Other than her blindness, she is in good health and very happy to be a part of the blind children's home family. SPONSOR SHANTI

Narendra Shahi - Narendra is sixteen years old (2009) and has completed eight years of school. He's had a difficult life. His father remarried when he was a small child and in his new home he was mistreated. While tending the family's sheep he fell off a cliff and broke his arm. His step-mother would not help but a neighbor did try to treat him with herbs and a wrap. Unfortunately the arm did not heal properly and still gives him pain. Later, small boils formed over his eyes and he slowly lost his sight. Due to the unhygienic conditions in West Nepal and the lack of any medical care, common infections or injuries can quickly become serious. Many of Nepal's handicapped suffer from conditions that could have easily been treated if medical care were available. Shortly after this photo, Narendra was taken to Katmandu for surgery on the growth over his left eye. SPONSOR NARENDRA

Chaitu Buddah - Chaitu is fourteen years old (2009) and has completed six years of school. She was born blind and has difficulty hearing. She accepted the Lord in 2007 and wants to minister the Gospel when she completes her schooling. Chaitu is from a family of six and her family comes to visit with her once each year. It's difficult to imagine the challenges that face these young blind children. There are few roads in west Nepal and it's common to walk for weeks to reach other regions. The terrain is some of the most inhospitable in the world with steep valleys and fast moving rivers. Landslides are frequent in the rainy season and at times entire villages are wiped out. Travel for these blind children is a huge challenge but still they manage to move about. Two of our students travel frequently to the villages as evangelists. SPONSOR CHAITU

Ali Rokaya - Ali is fourteen years old (2009) and has completed four years of school. He is from the village of Godesingh in the Jumla district. His father is sixty-four and his mother fifty-nine. He is their only child. Ali's eyes were infected when he was an infant and since there was no medical care, he lost his sight. As we travel in the Nepali villages we often see conditions that could be easily prevented with basic medical care or good hygiene. It is frustrating to see people suffering simply because they do not know any better. Though Ali's parents are aged and travel is difficult for them, they come to visit twice a year and they take him home for visits when they are able. Ali is not yet a believer. He hopes to continue to a higher level of education and eventually become a teacher. SPONSOR ALI

Laxmi Budha - Laxmi is fourteen years old (2009) and has completed seven years of school. She is from the village of Jarmi in the Jumla district. She became a believer in 2007 and her family has not objected to her faith in Christ. When we asked how she came to be blind we were told that as an infant she was placed in direct sunlight, a custom for people in this area. Some sunlight can be good for an infant with jaundice but doctors do not recommend direct sunlight. This was probably not the cause of her blindness but Shamanism and herbal medicine are common in Nepal. There is a general distrust of western medicine. It is impossible to diagnose the cause of Laxmi's blindness but it is not difficult to understand that the lack of education and medicine contribute to people's suffering. Laxmi hopes to go on to higher education and serve the Lord in the ministry. SPONSOR LAXMI

Dattabahadur Budha - Dattabahadur is nineteen years old (2009) and has completed ten years of school. He is from a family of eleven, including his two older brothers and their wives. It is common for extended families to live together in Nepal under one roof. Because of their poverty, Dattabahadur's two brothers are in India working as day laborers. The conditions are deplorable in India for Nepali workers and it is common for them to be cheated of their earnings. It's at least a two week walk from Jumla to India. At the age of five, boils formed on Dattabahadur's eyes and the infection caused him to lose his sight. He is a very strong believer and preaches the Gospel fearlessly. His family has been impressed with the change in his life and they have expressed an interest in the Gospel. SPONSOR DATTABAHADUR

Dhansingh Rawot - Dhansingh is twenty years old (2009) and has completed 10 years of school. His seven member family lives in extreme poverty scratching out a living from a tiny, rocky piece of land that is not sufficient to support them. They often go hungry. When Dhansingh was three years old he got an infection in both his eyes. His parents took him to a local shaman who treated his eyes by pouring hot cooking oil mixed with herbs into his eyes. He lost his sight as a result of the treatment. Dhansingh has known the Lord for three years and is a powerful evangelist. He has completed three months of training in our ministry center in Nepalgunj and is rapidly becoming a respected leader in the Jumla area. DHANSINGH IS SPONSORED

Mohanlal Katuwal - Mohanlal is eighteen years old and has completed seven years of schooling. He is from the village of Lupara in Kalikot, Nepal. He had an eye infection as an infant and since he is from a remote area and his family poor, they were not able to take him to a place where he could receive medical care. He eventually lost his sight. Once each year, a member from his family comes to the hostel and escorts him back to his village for a visit with his relatives. Mohanlal is not yet a believer.

SPONSOR MOHANIAL

Bimal Acharya - Bimal is eight years old and has completed one year of school. He is from the village of Chulel in the Jumla district. He is from a family of farmers. Bimal was born blind in one eye but as an infant, his good eye gradually became weaker until he lost all sight. He has become a believer in the Lord and his father has said that he is OK with his faith. His brothers however are angry with him and there has been some hostility. He wants to serve the Lord in whatever way he can with his life and he is thankful for the opportunity to stay in the hostel and attend school

SPONSOR ACHARYA

Lokendra Dhami - Lokendra is fourteen years old and has completed one year of school. He is from the village of Janfe in Kalikot. His family is very poor and his life has been difficult. As an infant he had an eye infection and the herbal treatment used apparently worsened his condition. He eventually lost his sight. Lokendra has struggled with depression and came close to giving up his will to live. He is not yet a believer but we are seeing signs of improvement in his disposition as the believers have encouraged him and shared the Gospel.

SPONSOR LOKENDRA