How Do You Solve A Problem Like (glue-sniffing street children) Poverty in Nepal?

The title to this post came to mind as I waited on a busy street outside Bouhda gate for my friend Rajendra to appear on his motorbike with camera equipment for filming at Buddhist Child Home. It was another hot, sweltering monsoon day in Nepal, and I had a ring-side seat on the steps to watch street children plying the crowds across from me. The children live, scavenge and sleep on the sidewalks, entirely by their wits, which are seriously compromised by the amount of glue-sniffing they do. The glue is sold to them cheaper than food inside brown paper bags, and is then "huffed" -the temporary high takes away hunger pains and allows for sleep on the hot, dirty, crowded streets-their home. I have often stepped over these children, sadly, wondering what can be done for them?

The two lads in the photo above had been working the crowds with little success and I felt deeply for them, so motioned them over. I offered to buy them some juice, their thin, boney bodies looked like they could use a little nourishment. They gladly followed me to the snack stand to get their juice.  As soon as it was bought, they went to grab it, but I was on them like a dog on a bone-grabbing the juice before they could. The reason why is, as soon as they could get something like this, they will run and sell it to anyone or back to a store to use the money for glue. I made them drink the juice in front of me and then bought them Snicker candy bars to eat in front of me.

You might say I had to get all "Amma la" on them, and put my hands on hip and sternly told them to eat now or never. They gobbled their treats and drank the juice with gusto. Would it really be so hard to start a day kitchen on the streets for street kids? it is an idea I have every time I am over here watching this sad children eek out their existence. They are not all that different from the children I work with in the States and just a few notches below the lucky orphans we work with at Buddhist Child Home. They could use a bath, some protein and school. They do not have that luxury, having no parents, and competing with adults for menial labor jobs, no shelter, they do what they can to survive in a very poor country. The fact that they are surviving is a testament to some kind of will and spirit few of us  will ever need to tap into.
Quickly I saw how difficult it would be to act out my good intentions to offer at least fruit juice once a day to these children. Other children saw the two boys eating and began running towards me! I was soon surrounded by a pack of clinging, moaning urchins. making their hand to mouth gesture and saying "Please, Miss, me Miss!" I could not buy enough juice for all of them in the time I had, and I could see more coming! It started a small riot that the police man (really he is a guard for the ATM that is there) and my friend Kelsang ran to rescue me, yelling at the poor children to back off. Afraid of the blows that would soon follow from the men, the children scattered as quickly as they came. It was a sobering experience, but one to expect in opening the ground to how to solve this problem. If I had some help, I could see a juice cart and some order could be had with the help of volunteers. We could buy and stock enough juice in paper cups to give to the children once a day. The hours could be maybe 2 or 3 hours a day, and that's it. Who wants to help me start a juice stand for street children? Anyone? It is a small thing to do, I know, but I feel these children need to start with nutrition-then getting them into a school can be the next step. Comments and feedback are always appreciated!! I used to think the orphanage was a difficult place for the children in their cramped and simple quarters, but now I realize what Durga is doing for these kids, who used to be on the streets, is a blessing indeed.