Pokhara Street Festival and HFHK Awareness Campaign

So much has happened since Christmas so I'm going to squeeze in everything to get you up to speed. First up the Pokhara New Years Street Festival which has run for the last 6 years and was an absolute riot. Full of different ethnic groups, their music and dancing, many carnival activities (and carny folk-turns out not reserved for the West).The festival was also graced with the presence of the HFHK stall, the platform for an awareness campaign and fundraiser selling some gift cards the children had drawn pictures for and we had prfessionally printed....I will learn to use shorter sentences when I don't have so much to say.....

As the street could get a little crowded with the dancing and festivities........You Just had to learn to hang out with the right type of person....

The Stand did well and we sold a few cards but more importantly we began the epic task of playign a part in educating both the locals and tourists that large children's residential centres (orphanages) are not in the best interest of children and deinstitutionalisation is starting and needs supporting. Because of the miscopnception amongst tourists that cometo Pokhara that the children's centres are these happy places and should be donated to, they don't realise they can be misguiding their resourses of which usually does not reach the children.

The Broshure we printed and handed out (The What, How Why and Who of Deinstitutionalisation) reached the hands of some key individuals, including some key local business owners, some international development students, and also some children's residential centre owners, so I was happy about this.
Once it was dark and the stall was packed up it was time to enjoy what the festival had to offer...

(Thier version of hooky, try and get the bamboo ring over the prize...)

Check out the politically incorrect prizes: ciggies, mini bottles of wisky...super strong red bull cans...100 rupee notes...great for the kids...I loved it!

Great Places to eat... You leave feeling...happy...when not food poisoned....

Places to avoid.....Although I think it is just a trecking business...
And the jusxtoposition of certain atmospheres to soak up:

(Traditional Nepali Dress, so beautiful...but I feel like a giant over here...)