About The Aastha House Project

In October of 2005, The Mustard Seed went to the turbulent Himalayan kingdom of Nepal bearing cameras for the eighteen children who live at Aastha House, a small orphanage on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

The country was in the eye of the storm: the Maoist rebels had just declared a three-month ceasefire, the latest respite in their violent ten-year insurgency, while King Gyanendra was awash in controversy, having suspended the constitution and dissolved the democratically elected government (for a more complete picture of Nepal's situation, click here).

We came in hopes of getting to know this beautiful, troubled country through the eyes of a few of its children. The world we saw through their lenses and our own was by turns gritty and dreamlike, gorgeous and horrifying. The children's images inspired us with their lively freshness and ease, the children themselves with their willingness and cooperation. We are in their debt.

To see the Aastha House Project photo gallery, click here.

Our time in Nepal was cut short by the resumption of open hostilities in January of 2006, complete with bombings, strikes, and all-day curfews. Since then, the situation has continued to deteriorate; click here for the latest news. We deeply hope that Nepal will soon be the peaceful, democratic country that these children, and all the Nepali people, deserve.