Every year the DVG takes a group of children living with cancer and their families to Chitwan for a short Christmas holiday break. Chitwan is region west of Kathmandu and famous for its large national park which is home to a number of animals, such as the Bengal tiger, leopards, elephants, rhinos and deer. The group is given the chance to see some of the wildlife and learn about their natural habitats. Samir, the director of DVG believes it is essential to provide the children living with cancer and their families an opportunity to relax and reduce stress. One important way of doing so, is spending time outside of the city, discovering wildlife and experiencing nature.
Krebsallianz, a long-standing partner of DVG has sponsored the trip for the past four years and it usually takes place right before the Christmas break. Every year the group stays at the Sapana village lodge, a beautiful riverside accommodation where, sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can spot elephants in the river from the veranda.On the first day of their two-night stay the group visited an elephant breeding centre where they learned about the history of elephants in the region and even saw an enormous elephant’s skull. The children really enjoyed looking at the elephants and they even spotted some deer, too. That evening, after dinner at the Sapana village lodge, a group of local Tharu dancers put on a show for the guests. They danced a number of dances and invited the group to join in. The children and their parents danced, sung and played games late into the nig
Der zweite Tag begann mit einer Aufregung, als die Gruppe sich auf eine Dschungel-Safari vorbThe second day began with excitement as the group prepared to go on a jungle safari. They had heard that they may see a one-horned rhino. Already on the way to the national park they spotted wild boar, deer and a kingfisher. As part of the safari the group visited lake twenty thousand, a popular destination to see wildlife and take in the beautiful scenery. The group spotted two crocodiles sunbathing by the edge of the water. That evening the group sat together after dinner and while the children played, the parents had an opportunity to talk openly about their experiences of living with a child who have cancer.
One of the children joining on the trip was Ishu Gautam, she had just returned from India after a month-long none marrow transplant. She had already received chemo after her cancer returned. The treatment was hard for her and was feeling depressed, plus her family have had to go through a lot to afford her treatment. She was luckily able to join the trip with her father, Deepak, and unwind for a short time. They described how this was an important moment for them to reduce some of the stress that had begun to ruin their daily life and mental health. Her father said that they were really happy when they heard about the trip. Deepak said “We were really excited to hear that you are taking Ishu, it is really important for her to have some fun and a refreshing time with everyone.” Many of the parents on the trip are grateful for the opportunity they have to give their children a break from the city and see the trip as important for the children to recharge and relax. Before the group headed back to Kathmandu the next morning, Sapana village lodge gave them all some locally made dolls and they took some more photos. They had all had a relaxing and enjoyable time, and Samir was extremely grateful for everyone’s support who made the trip possibl
A message of thanks from the group: We would like to express our gratitude toward our sponsors. Your help and support really help the children to stand up against cancer and give them strength to fight it. We hope for your continuous support, prayer and help in our upcoming programs also designed for children undergoing cancer treatment.
Special thanks go to Krebsallianz for supporting all the food and accommodation and the whole trip package. Also, thanks to Shaurab Lohani for being with us in an urgent moment of need. We are also very thankful to Suzane Gurung from USA for being with us and supporting us for transportation and foo