Krishna, our Vegetable Seller

Some of you will remember the story I wrote here last Fall about Krishna and his business of selling vegetables. Krishna had said he did not need a new school uniform last year and we gave him the $20 as he wished to start a business. He is only 14 years old but gets up at 5am to get his supplies and sets up on the street till 8am and then goes to school and goes back after till 7pm. I visited him and the vegetable business this morning. I was very impressed with him. He sold a variety of different vegetables and teams up with a neighbour who watches his veggies while Krishna is at school. He makes about a dollar per day. They both sell different items so as not to compete. His sponsor had sent him some extra money to expand his business. When I saw his set up I suggested he should have a stall with wheels and cover, like they have here. This way he would be mobile and his veggies would not get wet. He liked the idea so we will add some money from the fund together with his sponsor's extra money and buy this for him. I will put his picture up later.
I also visited the two little girls, Shirjhana and Samjhana, who lost their father recently and who I visited in the hospital. they now live alone as their mother has left and is living with an aunt. The girls are 13 and 14 years old. Lovely girls and so responsible. A relative is paying their rent and an uncle brings them rice. First visit this morning was a lady called Auntie Jimmy and her relative Yanji who we sponsor. Here I was given a large plate of momos, tea and juice. I had already had breakfast but would never offend so ate them all and they were very good but I do not think I need to eat for the rest of the day.
There is lots of news and I do not want to make this too long but I would like to just mention something that is a bit different and this was an organization that I visited called Kat. Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre. I visited here two days ago to donate the medicine that I had bought to treat the dog that had been stabbed but then could not find it and on behalf of my Vet, Dr. J Pollock, who is so good to my dogs and to this charity. This centre was set up four years ago to help the street dogs of Kathmandu. If you saw these dogs you would be distressed as I am when I see them. They are in terrible condition with diseases such as mange, malnutrition, parasites and vehicle injuries etc. This charity helps these dogs and also spays thousands of female dogs. They collect around 8 every other day, treat them and spay them and release when ready. They had quite a lot of resident dogs who were so sick when they arrived that they took up to two years to get well and then it was too late to release them. Since they have doing this work the city has stopped poisoning dogs which they did regularly to cull them. This was an agonizing death and the bodies were dumped in the river. Also children picked up this meat and also died the same horrible death. I was very impressed with their work and now know I can call them when I see a dog needing medical help.