At the fundraiser in 2022, ABIN board members shared the story of a women’s safe house and shelter that recently opened and is currently operating out of a small rented house in Khandbari. Supporters were asked for comments/feedback with respect to the possibility of ABIN pivoting slightly to get involved with the safe-house/shelter project. The feedback was overwhelmingly in favour of involvement with this important initiative. We feel that the shelter initiative still falls within our expressed mandate of children and education.
Operated by our NGO Nepal colleagues at SODEC & Changing Lives Nepal in the US, the current women’s safe house operation provides services that previously were not being addressed in this large eastern geographic region of Nepal, where ABIN currently works. Until now, when women and children were fleeing abusive situations, or other violence, the only place for them to find safe shelter was the local hospital if available.
The safe house initiative has now been officially adopted as ABIN’s sixth project.
Land has been donated by the local Nepali government, and a committee has been formed made up of ABIN, team members in Victoria, Changing Lives Nepal members in the US and team members from SODEC in Nepal. ABIN will be the primary funder for planning and construction. Our partner organizations will continue to run the operation’s temporary facility, and then of course its new permanent home.
An October 2023 newsletter from Changing Lives Nepal dealing with the safe house can be read here.
You can see all our updates on ABIN’s work – click here. To see a list of the updates on the work on this project only – click here