A FORMER Worcester school pupil found a happy home high in the Himalayas when he visited Nepal to make a documentary about the work of a homeless charity.

Film-maker Ben Winter, of St Peter’s, Worcester, who studied at the King’s School, stopped off in the mountain-top country with girlfriend Kelly Maguire en route to emigrating to New Zealand.

Happy Home is a small orphanage in Patan, a district of Kathmandu which had been brought to his attention by a teacher at King’s.

The 30-year-old said: “Patan is similar to St John’s in Worcester; it is on the other side of the river, has its own community and infrastructure but is still part of the bigger city.

“Patan is a little quieter and a little less polluted than the rest of the city so it is the ideal location for bringing up children without the stresses that can be found in the city centre.

“Over the last 10 years the city has tripled in population due to the Maoist insurgency, which devastated rural communities and resulted in people fleeing to the relative safety of the city.

“However, the city is unable to cope. Litter and waste are rife, water supply is stretched and in the winter there is only electricity for eight hours a day. There are hundreds of abandoned and orphaned children roaming the streets.”

Many children are orphaned within the foothills of the Himalayas because of the landslides that kill many people every year.

It is often the case that if one parent is lost then a child is abandoned completely, left to fend for themselves or taken in by a relative who puts them to work in the fields.

Bishwa Pratap set up Happy Home just over two years ago after visiting many children who lived in appalling conditions, had no education and worked all day just for a cup of rice.

He wanted to stop this cycle of misery and so set up Happy Home.

Mr Winter said: “We had come to Happy Home to make a documentary about the lives of children in Kathmandu and Nepal.

“Before filming we spent a week getting to know the children and we thought it would take a while for them to become accustomed to us being around.

“But they welcomed us with open arms and huge smiles and by the end of the first day we were known as Ben Uncle and Kelly Aunty.”

Because of their early-life experiences before their arrival at Happy Home some of the children have to work extra hard to get through the early school years.

Sangita, the oldest girl at Happy Home, was found by Bishwa in Kathmandu. She was working, pretty much as a slave, in a family’s home doing everything from cleaning to cooking.

She was often beaten and underfed by her captives. She is now enjoying school, but at 12 years old she towers over her eight-year-old classmates and it will be a couple of years before she can be fast-tracked through school.

Mr Winter said: “Their days are so full and they have no toys, no PlayStations, bikes or televisions, but they’re never bored or frustrated, not for one second.

“During our time at Happy Home I celebrated my 30th birthday and every child, without prompting, made me a birthday card and two even made a birthday card for Kelly so that she didn’t feel left out.

“The children of Happy Home are well-behaved, innocent children who have the luxury to enjoy their childhood and thrive in their education.

“The children from the streets, however, are a little more street-smart with a few bad habits.

“To help them, Bishwa has set up a new home with the capacity to hold 15 street kids and the three girls we interviewed are now happily settling into their new life.”

The main goal of Happy Home is to put an end to the exploitation of children in Nepal and ensure every child can have a good education.

Mr Winter said: “Education is something we take totally for granted in the UK.”

It will cost £250 per month to run the home – just £3,000 a year to save the lives of 15 children and give them a home, food, education and happiness.

Mr Winter is urging people in Worcester to support the charity.

You can make donations through the Happy Home website either monthly or as a one-off lump sum. To make a donation, visit happyhomenepal.org and click the paypal button on the left side of the homepage.