Mosaics heal fragmented lives of Nepali girls

KATHMANDU, Oct. 2

The Himalayan republic of Nepal is famed for its wood, metal, paper and clay craftsmanship.

But now, an organization is transforming the humble bathroom tile to create exquisite mosaics that can be a collector's item.

What makes these delicate yet vibrant mosaics of plants, animals, birds and fishes all the more wonderful is that they are crafted by young girls who are the survivors of trafficking.

Many of them have been rescued from circuses in India, where they were forced to perform stunts and were often sexually abused. Some are the children of sex workers and others rape victims.

The Himalayan Mosaics in Bhairahawa in western Nepal, some 185 km west of Nepali capital Kathmandu, are the brainchild of Philip Holmes, a dentist formerly with the British Gurkhas.

Holmes left service after his wife Esther committed suicide because they did not have any children.

He decided to set up a trust for children in Esther's name and chose Nepal to do it since both had been close to the Gurkha community.

The Esther Benjamin Trust (EBT) began identifying children employed in Indian circuses, rescuing them and bringing them back to Nepal.

The EBT runs three refuges in Nepal where the rescued youngsters, who prefer not to return to their families, are rehabilitated, along with children of prisoners, street children and youngsters affected by the decade-long civil war in Nepal.

In 2004, Holmes took an art holiday in France where he learnt how to make mosaics. When he returned to Kathmandu and set up a studio, he taught the art to two teenaged girls: one was the daughter of a sex worker while the other was an orphan, whose parents had committed suicide.

The two teens showed such an aptitude for making mosaics that Holmes began to introduce more girls to the technique and in this way, the Himalayan Mosaics was formed.

The products -- that range from ornamental mosaics to nameplates, logos and mirrors -- are sold through exhibition, online and via an outlet at Durbar Marg in Kathmandu near the Sherpa Mall.

The delicate mosaics are beginning to become popular as a wedding gift as well.

A western couple who got married recently had their friends commission an intricate wedding mosaic for them from the HimalayanMosaics, showing the bride and groom riding on horseback against an exotic backdrop of trees and flowers.

The mosaic is now a wall mural in Bhairahawa and the newly married couple is expected to come to Nepal on their honeymoon and view it.

Holmes is trying to promote the concept of mosaics as "ethical gifts". Instead of making a donation, a sponsor can commission a mosaic.

It will then be put up at an organization in Nepal -- a school, or children's center or home for disabled children -- where they will provide joy and cheer to the residents.

Holmes said to this Xinhua reporter on Friday that mosaic-making is a viable form of livelihood for the girls, who can earn 50 pounds a month.

It is also therapeutic, giving the teens an opportunity to showcase their talent while helping restore their lost self-confidence.

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