Who We Are
Our Beginnings |
In 2005 Trish Ryan – a nurse and mother of four grown up children – travelled to Nepal and volunteered in a small orphanage in Bugmati, on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The orphanage that Trish found herself in was under corrupt management, and the 20 children who lived there were suffering from persistent health problems, mostly related to malnutrition and poor hygiene. The facilities were extremely poor, and supplies were frequently inadequate – the staff were often forced to beg on the streets. On her return to Australia Trish called a public meeting in her local farming community, and a small committee was formed. Fundraising activities commenced almost immediately, and the committee established a charitable trust to support the children from the Bugmati orphanage. Importantly, Trish maintained contact with a young Nepali university student – Bikash – who had been volunteering at the Bugmati orphanage during her visit. Bikash took on the legal guardianship of the children, and oversaw their relocation to a new home in Bhaktapur. With the support of two house mothers – Nanda and Bibechana – a stable and loving home and support network has been put in place. Bibechana and Sagar took over care of the children in 2015 and are ably supported by a dedicated committee of Nepalese, including educators, business owners and a hospital administrator. In the last few years, Meg's have expanded their role in Nepal. We now also provide short term assistance to families to get children back into school while they are getting back on their feet. We also work with a local hospital (The Siddhi Memorial Hospital) who provide us with support and health care for our children. We also have many of the children who came to Meg's from the original Bugmati orphanage in university, studying in fields as varied as fashion design, nursing, and tourism and business. |
Who is Meg? |
Meg’s Children Nepal is named in memory of Meg Ryan, Trish Ryan’s oldest daughter who passed away in 2003 as a result of complications from Spina Bifida. Meg had always taken a great interest in education, and had worked as a teacher’s aide at primary schools in Albury and in Mullengandra. When Meg passed away at age 23, she was studying for a Bachelor of Education at Charles Sturt University. After the loss of Meg, Trish made the decision to travel to Nepal to volunteer.
When the new children’s home was established Bikash, Nanda and Bibechana chose to name it Meg’s. When asked about this decision, Bikash wrote the following, in 2005: “After the loss of her beloved daughter, Meg, Trish decided not to sit and grieve at home, but instead to come to Nepal to enrich the lives of people in need. From the moment she arrived back home, she began raising money to support us. Since Trish is the primary reason our orphanage still exists today, we chose to name our home in memory of her daughter.” |