I  support Maiti Nepal,  a non-profit organization in Nepal dedicated to helping victims of sex trafficking. It is founded by Mrs. Anuradha Koirala, recipient of the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year Award. Maiti Nepal rescues, nurtures, rehabilitates, and educates girls who have been sex trafficked across country borders, and works at proactively preventing this inhumanity and cruelty.

In May 2012 traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, to volunteer with Teresa Academy, the school established by Maiti Nepal for rescued survivors, their rescued children, and other at-risk children, within the secure compound of Maiti Nepal. I donated more than 600 enrichment books for students, ages 3-16, on various subjects, including science, history, environment, mathematics, and geography to name a few.

Entering cockpit of Mt. Everest Flight        Mt. Everest from the cockpit!

I was inspired, moved, and touched by the courage, strength, humanity and resilience that shone brightly in these children – they were indeed “Flowers in the Garden” – first surviving, then thriving, and then blossoming within the safe, nurturing and loving environment of food, shelter, clothing, education, and caring from their teachers and care givers. The children called me “American Aunty”, and as I spent time with them each day, a desire to bring them a special surprise grew in my mind – ice cream popsicles – the quintessential summer delight for all children!

My Two “Flowers” young Lina and Vikram enjoying ice cream cones

There were numerous  challenges and obstacles in my plan to buy, transport and deliver 450 ice cream popsicles for the children, and their teachers and care givers at Maiti Nepal. There were mass protests, riots and shutdowns all over the country, specially in Kathmandu, triggered by a coalition of several Marxist and other radical parties who were agitating to bring their agenda into consideration as the Constituent Assembly was finalizing the details of a new Constitution for Nepal. Electricity generation was affected, ice cream factories, and most other businesses were shutdown, and refrigerated vans were not available, as no vehicles were allowed to travel on city roads blockaded by mobs of violent protesters. I was determined to get the ice cream popsicles, so I called many different ice cream factories, distribution plants, restaurants suppliers, hotels, officials in the government, as well as contacts in the University, and the USEF.

After making numerous calls, I finally found one supplier who had the ice cream popsicles, but they had no delivery vehicle. I then found a refrigerated van owner, to whom I promised a bonus cash payment, who agreed to navigate through the streets, avoiding protest mobs, to pick up the ice cream, and deliver it to the gates of the secure compound of Maiti Nepal between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm, the small interval between the end of classes for the Flowers, and the start of their therapy dance, music and art sessions. I then convinced my hotel to convert my cash US dollars into Nepali Rupees, (this had been temporarily discontinued for a few days due to the protests) and arranged for a private car to drive me over to Maiti Nepal, avoiding major roads and intersections to avoid mobs. We managed to arrive at the well guarded Maiti Nepal gate a few minutes before 3:30 pm, and the arrival of the refrigerated van. We unloaded the ice cream popsicles, I paid the driver for the transport, and also gave him an envelope of cash for payment to the ice cream factory.

Awaiting arrival of the “Ice Cream Popsicles” Delivery Van

The “Flowers in the Garden” were assembled in the inner courtyard with their teachers and care givers, and as they happily enjoyed heir ice cream popsicles, their smiles of delight, their gentle laughter, their graceful namastes deeply moved me, and filled me with joy.

The next day at Maiti Nepal, one of the little Flowers ran up to me, did namaste and said “Ice Cream Aunty”. An older child said “No, you must NOT ask the Aunty for more Ice Cream”. The little Flower said “No, I am not asking for more ice cream, she is Ice Cream Aunty”!