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Street Kids Meet Street Dogs
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Both are regarded as outcasts by society. They live side by side on the streets of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and face similar challenges. Perhaps that is why they have a special relationship: street children and stray dogs.
In a unique program set up by Sangkalpa, Heart Beat and Animal Nepal, street children are taught how to take care of dogs.
In this program, coordinated by Animal Nepal's education officer Sushma Maharjan and US artist Mike Lilly, the children learn how to better interact with dogs and to see that they are not mistreated. Using games and art, the young participants are encouraged to express how they feel about dogs and the way community deals with them.
Animal Nepal hopes some of the children will be inspired to become a shelter caretaker in the future. "The kids often have a natural empathy with stray dogs which is the first requirement for being a caretaker," says the Animal Nepal team.
Text and pictures by Sushma Maharjan and Mike Lilly.
The two can often be seen sleeping together, sharing warmth and a bit of comfort. Street kids like having their 'own' dog, who follows them loyally and lives on a diet of biscuits and left overs. Famous is the example of a street boy who jumped into the river when a dog was in danger of being swept away, and managed to rescue the mongrel.
2 of 12 Nepalese dogs share the streets not only with street children but also with cows, monkeys and birds. The dogs of Swayambunath temple have a relatively peaceful existence due to generous offerings by devotees but still tend to suffer from skin diseases and birthing problems.
3 of 12 The participants are proud to show 'their' dogs, who share the streets with them. The children have great abilities in managing stray dogs.
4 of 12 The bus ride to Chobar Animal Sanctuary is an adventure in itself.
5 of 12 The boys arrive at the shelter and are greeted by barking dogs.
6 of 12 Dr Surendra Basyal explains what kind of work is being done in Animal Nepal's dog outreach and rehabilitation programme.
7 of 12 One of the boys spontaneously starts cleaning the kennel area.
8 of 12 This boy has chosen his favourite puppy.
9 of 12 Artist Mike Lilly provides sketch books and colours to the participants. The children make drawings based on what they have learned about dogs.
10 of 12 This participants loves the art session the most.
11 of 12 Some of the boys find it hard to say good bye to the shelter dogs.
12 of 12 Street children, as do street dogs, have much to benefit from each others company. This young boy wishes he could take this puppy back with him to the streets.
