After 9 years hard work by many, the first unit, a clinic where Cerebral Palsy children go to be assessed and advice given to parents was about to be opened on May 2nd 2006 and Frances and I had to be there. We began the project in 1997, raised funds to get the land in 2003 and now the first unit was up and running.

On the flight we found our seats with only 20 others. The plane was empty because many had cancelled going to Nepal as there has been a public uprising against the king, who had dissolved the parliament and clambered into the driving seat. We were going anyway and nothing would stop us from attending the Cerebral Palsy centre opening.

After a drive on the severely holed roads we were glad to reach the Tibet Cottage, a Tibetan hotel we have used over the last 10 years costing €3 a night. We knew everyone working in the hotel and we all used first names.

There was a New Zealand cycle group helping the funding of our project and they had just cycled in from Lassa that evening. We arranged to meet them at 9am. They were exhausted. The ride across the Tibetan high plateau was not easy. At 17,000 feet you get breathless sitting in an arm chair, let alone cycling 900 kilometres.

On Friday morning we found ourselves waiting for a bus to take us all to the new cerebral palsy centre. The guide said it would be here soon, but in Nepal a soon can be a long one. After an hour the guide confirmed that the driver had slept in.

The bus arrived, two hours late. We bumped our way on unmade roads out to Dhapakhel where we had bought the land– an acre of farm land 7 kilometres out south along very dry bumpy tracks. The children love any visitor and as the cyclists wandered round, the buzz in the centre grew.

This first unit will be the clinic with Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Counselling and upstairs an administration office. Now this is done, we with the help of many, hope to next build the school followed by a small training unit.

Each day the rains gradually stretched out with the occasional rolling thunder as the clouds hugged the mountain tops, indicating it was nearly time for the monsoon to rain for days continuously. The heat, about 28ºC, continues to increase along with the humidity. Walking around the centre we noted things that needed to be done.

The parking area in front was still a field and needed digging out and a firm surface put in for transport to deliver the children. The watchman’s house was going up and the fence was now round the grounds but an entrance gate was necessary. Next was a meeting with our team of school staff and assistant from a Swiss bridge construction firm to shape up the school design.
Not knowing how stable politically the country was going to remain, we decided to build half the school, 4 class rooms and a kitchen diner and then complete the rest of the school at a later date.

The official opening on May 2nd was lovely with lots of involvement from the children. The children in the pictures have Cerebral Palsy, a nerve and muscle disorder where steady controlled movements are difficult to carry out. The clinic and school will be accessible so walking frames and wheel chairs can be used by the children.

If you can support any part of the school we are building, we would love your help.
The Nepal Cerebral Palsy School Charity. Charity Registration 16410.
Allied Irish Bank, 98, Sandymount Rd, Dublin 4. A/C 03648603. IBAN: ie04 AIBK 933600 03648603. SWIFT: AIBKIE2D
You may contact Bob and Frances Corazza at 01 6687538 for further information.