“When I started, nobody believed in me. People thought I was crazy. They laughed at me.” – Protector of Nepal’s children, Pushpa Basnet, speaking to CNN.com.
In the traditional English nursery rhyme, “The Woman who Lived in a Shoe,” the beleaguered central character reportedly had “so many children, she didn’t know what to do.” Too bad she didn’t have Pushpa Basnet around. If so, the woman in the shoe and her children would have likely received some compassionate assistance from Basnet, resembling those who have already been helped by her Butterfly Home.
Altruistic to a fault
Pushpa Basnet, 28, decided to make the world a better place after going on her first field trip to a women’s prison in her homeland of Nepal. The visit, a part of her college social work courses, proved to be a shocker. While there, Basnet witnessed innocent children being locked away behind prison bars, merely because they had nowhere else to go.
Children with no custodial father and no relative to assume guardianship were incarcerated by prison officials while mothers did time in jail for assorted crimes. Imagine children held prisoner even though they committed no crimes.
Moved by the appalling conditions, Basnet was compelled to do something. It was then she envisioned a day care center for children who were waiting in jail for their mother’s sentences to end.
With donations and hand-me-downs from her parents, Basnet started the Early Childhood Development Center in Kathmandu seven years ago. Since that time her services have grown; she now operates the Butterfly Home.
The Butterfly Home
Pushpa Basnet is featured in the March 16, 2012 CNN.com article, “Pulling children out of Nepal’s prisons,” written by Kathleen Toner. The piece offers a description of how Basnet operates the “Butterfly Home,” a residence which she founded in 2007:
“All the children are at the Butterfly Home with the consent of the imprisoned parent. When Basnet hears about an imprisoned child, she’ll visit the prison – even in remote areas of the country – and tell the parent what she can provide. If the parent agrees, Basnet brings the child back.”
What does it offer?
Basnet and sometimes a very small staff offer complete residential services to 40 children of assorted ages, including daycare for those under six. They go to school regularly and live with Basnet in Kathmandu. She provides a lot more than just the cooking, cleaning and washing, which is apparent when someone affectionately calls her, “Mamu,” meaning “Mommy.”
One 14 year old girl, Laxmi, whose mother has been in jail since 2005 on drug charges, is quoted in Toner’s article:
“My life would have been dark without her. I would’ve probably always had a sad life. But now I won’t, because of Pushpa.”
Providing normalcy for the children
The Butterfly Home doesn’t just separate families. Basnet’s residents maintain a familial connection, by way of frequent prison visits to their parents. The Butterfly Home even provides simple comforts during their stay.
According to authorities in Nepal, there are about 80 children currently living in the country’s prisons. The CNN.com item indicates Pushpa Basnet “has assisted more than 100 children of incarcerated parents.”
That sounds like a pretty good ratio: Pushpa Basnet, making a difference in the lives of children.