Pushpa Basnet and the Children from Waiting for Mamu Survived Nepal Earthquake


Pushpa Basnet Nepal Earthquake CNN hero

We are happy to be able to share with our friends and supporters that Pushpa Basnet and the 48 children of incarcerated parents that she cares for are all safe after the devastating earthquake in Nepal last week.  Pushpa and the children she cares for are the subjects of the short documentary film Waiting for Mamu, which Shine is proud to be attached to.

When the quake hit, they had to evacuate their home which was severely damaged and which they fear is now structurally unsound.  They fled to a nearby field and Pushpa and some of the older children have created a shelter using the frame of a greenhouse, taping plastic around the sides to protect themselves. Speaking to CNN she said, “It’s really cold in the middle of the night; there are lots of fox in the field.”  Though they are all scared, she is trying to stay positive telling CNN “I think for the time being, whatever we have, we should be happy, you know? Because at least we have our life” adding “(My kids) all are safe. That’s the most important thing for me.”

With the winnings from her CNN Award and support from viewers of the film, Pushpa had bought a piece of land to build a permanent “Butterfly Home” for the children at the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC).  Construction was almost complete and they had planned the opening ceremony for October of this year.  “When the earthquake hit that land, all my dreams were scattered,” she told CNN. “I have to restart again.”

Donations can be made to Pushpa through the Utopia Foundation by clicking here – 100% of them will go to helping them recover from the earthquake and rebuild their home.

You can read more and see the video report from CNN here.