Lawyer and soccer coach helps children in Nepal

Once a year, Brigitte and Heinz Söllinger visit the three schools they run in a slum, a leper village and a prison, as well as their children’s home in Nepal. If the retired teacher couple from Meggenhofen, who taught at Dachsberg High School until the fall, cannot be there, volunteers from Austria support the projects.

Sarah Horwath from Hinzenbach is currently in Nepal, where she looks after and teaches girls and boys from the lowest castes. “The children are so grateful and full of joy for life, despite the difficult circumstances in which they are growing up,” says Horwath. The 27-year-old studied law has gotten to know the bad and beautiful sides of the South Asian country in the past few weeks. “The conditions are particularly bad in the slums, the children live in squalor and have little to eat,” says the young woman, who has known the Söllingers’ work since her school days at the Dachsberg high school and is committed to education and against human trafficking in Nepal want to use.

Young, committed, idealistic

So far, 13 volunteers have worked for the “ChildVision” association in Nepal. “It’s great what the young people do in our projects. Sarah is thrilled about how nice it is to work with the children and see their eyes light up when they come to school in the morning,” says Brigitte Söllinger, who is in contact with Horwath by phone almost every day.

Söllinger clearly distinguishes himself from so-called voluntourism, in which organizations convert the travelers’ willingness to help into a lucrative business and the locals hardly benefit.

“We have strict briefings with all the details about what awaits the young people there – it’s hard. It’s no use if they’re not up to it all and don’t have the resilience. For us, the minimum age is 20 years,” says Söllinger. The volunteers have to pay for the flight themselves and receive room and board, but no salary.

Sarah Horwath lives in the children’s home with 17 girls. “They are happy to have found a new home and have enough space to sleep, play and learn,” says Horwath. In schools she teaches English, mathematics and sports. The trained soccer coach inspires the children not only soccer but also other ball and movement games. Once a week she holds a practice course for the teachers to improve their English skills.

The biggest challenge is getting used to the simple life and witnessing the poverty of the children and families. “I really enjoy working with the children and I appreciate the hospitality and warmth of the people,” says Horwath.

More information about the projects at childvisionnepal.com, interested volunteers can contact b.soellinger@gmx.at.

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