Volunteer brings charity home from Nepal

Josh Broadman with a group of kids from the Namaste Children’s House

Josh Broadman had an eye-opening experience when he volunteered at an orphanage in Pokhara, Nepal last summer.

The Montreal-native travelled there hoping to gain some perspective on life, and he wasn’t left disappointed.

One night, he went for a walk, and saw four kids huddled on the side of the street. There they stood looking hungry with no shoes on and no parents in sight.

“It was heartbreaking to see these kids who weren’t being taken care of,” he said. “I brought them some food and it was a heartwarming moment for me.”

But that wasn’t enough. He knew there were many other kids who needed to fill their bellies, and he couldn’t do it all himself.

So he approached a local Pokhara restaurant called Tea Time Bamboostan.

“I proposed the idea that they allow their customers to, once they get their bill, leave a little extra money to feed the homeless families in the area every morning,” he said.

Although he was pleased with the results, he knew it wasn’t enough. “It’s not going to help them,” he said. “It’s just making them dependent [on the program].”

He wanted to help educate the kids, so they could help themselves.

He decided to partner with the Namaste Children’s House orphanage where he volunteered, to help educate the impoverished children, particularly through the orphanage’s scholarship programs. He works with the Namaste Community Foundation to turn his goals into reality.

Now, back at home in Ottawa, where he studies science at the University of Ottawa, Broadman is continuing his fundraising venture. Though he’s no longer working with the Tea Time restaurant, he has kept the name of his fundraiser Tea Time for the Homeless.

“‘Tea time’ has a deeper meaning,” he said. “It’s a time where you can kind of relax and not deal with the daily stresses of life.”

By focusing on fundraising for scholarships, he’s hoping to reduce the children’s stress regarding how they could fund their education.

At the orphanage, he had the chance to hear many people’s life-stories. Even though they were children, so many of them had such heartbreaking experiences.

He recalled working on an application on behalf of an eight-year-old girl who the staff was hoping to bring in to the orphanage. Her father had travelled to India to find work, but he didn’t make it back alive. Her mother abandoned her, and her caregivers, her grandmother and her uncle, were both dying.

He wrote a letter to the board asking for a spot for this girl, but in the end, there wasn’t enough room for her and she was turned away.

“They really tried to get her in but there has to be space,” he said, adding that he hasn’t heard what has happened to the girl since.

That story fuelled his desire to raise as much money as possible for the foundation. He’s hoping the money will go to expanding the orphanage, providing scholarships, as well as setting up a women’s empowerment centre, and other institutions that would improve the quality of life for those in the community.

He began his fundraiser with a goal of $5,000 – a good amount that is still realistic, he said. Although he hasn’t yet reached that goal, the donations have been coming in much quicker than he expected. He raised almost $1,800 in the first month through an online campaign, with very little promotion.

He’s hoping once university finals are done for the year, he can ramp up his efforts. He’s planning a campaign to get talk show host Ellen Degeneres’ attention through having as many people as possible email her about the foundation at the same time.

“I know it sounds crazy, but go big or go home,” he said.

Although the 20-year-old doesn’t think he’ll make a career fundraising, he knows it’ll always be a part of his life.

“I’m always going to want to travel and make a difference,” he said.

And even though he doesn’t get anything in return for his efforts, it’s really about the satisfaction of knowing he’s helping out those less fortunate than himself.

“It makes me happy,” he said. “It’s pure selfish happiness.”

To learn more, visit gofundme.com/teatimeforthehomeless.