Child Sponsorship Background from Bharatpur, Nepal

SOS Children's Village Bharatpur

Bharatpur is the capital of Chitwan district. Chitwan, which is a valley in central Nepal, has over 350,000 inhabitants. Chitwan National Park is situated in the south. The two fastest growing towns in Chitwan are Narayangargh and Ratnanagar. They are experiencing a variety of social problems, from which children suffer most of all. The conflict between the Nepalese army and Maoist guerrillas has turned many children into orphans; others cannot stay with their parents for various social and economic reasons.

SOS Children's Village Bharatpur opened its gates in August 2003 and was officially inaugurated in November 2003. Well over 100 children can find a new home in one of the many family houses at SOS Bharatpur. In addition, there is the village director's house, a community centre, co-workers' houses as well as the necessary administration buildings.

Other SOS Projects in Bharatpur

The SOS School (primary and secondary school) with its SOS Nursery is also open to the children of the local population. This school centre is equipped with a library, different laboratories, a canteen and sports fields and provides education for hundreds of children in total.

The SOS Social Centre consists of a day-care centre and a health-counselling centre. Many children from the local community receive a scholarship from the SOS Social Centre. Without this financial aid, they would hardly ever attend school because their families could not afford it. The SOS Social Centre also offers community support.

Background to Bharatpur

Bharatpur is a city in the central-southern part of Nepal. Located in Chitwan Valley, its common and unofficial name is Narayangadh and is widely referred as such. Bharatpur is one of the fastest growing cities of Nepal. It lies on the banks of Narayani River and serves as a commercial centre of Chitwan district and central region of Nepal.