How Lars helped orphans in Nepal
IT started with a trip meeting wealthy kids around the United States and Canada.
After a year there, Lars Olsen decided he wanted to experience “the opposite”.
He chose Nepal.
The decision to volunteer for five months in 2004 set him on the unexpected path to the 2008 Suncorp Young Queensland of the Year.
“I witnessed a lot of corruption while I was over there and I wanted to do something,” he said.
“Donations were being presented to the orphanage for children that were sold off the next week to support drinking habits, etc, of people running the orphanage.
“I was also appalled at the level of child molestation. There were three girls I met one week that disappeared the next.
“I found out they had been shipped off to the borders of China and India for trade over there.
“I come from a pretty big family with four sisters and two brothers so it was a bit of an eye opener for me.
“I decided to change my life path to help these kids.”
Mr Olsen, who turned 27 last week, said he kicked off two charities, in Nepal and Australia, in 2005 and opened the doors of the ForgetMeNot Children’s home to six girls in 2006.
He said the rented building now housed 21 girls but he had purchased land in August, 2009, to begin the next phase.
“When I went over there, all I wanted to do was to experience another culture,” he said.
“I just wanted to help out and ended up a lot more involved in the country and people than I expected.
“It’s all girls at the moment because I felt girls were subjected to the worst sort of atrocities.
“In Nepal, girls are still the lesser sex and they are not given the same rights for education.
“The girls go to school. One of the girls has now finished her schooling and is starting a nursing degree soon.
“We are giving them the skills to stand on their own two feet.
“We have bought seven acres to build an eco-village that will be self sustainable and support 60 kids a year.”
Mr Olsen, who is from Hervey Bay, said he had visited the Sunshine Coast’s Rotary Clubs before this trip to garner support and hoped they would contribute to his cause.
He said Eumundi couple Mel and Craig Manley went on his last trip, returning last Wednesday.
They will host a cocktail party fundraiser during the town’s body art festival in May.
“We had about 20 people come over including families that sponsor the children and a group of Rotarians that came over to help with some work on the land,” he said.
“Predominately our support base is from Wide Bay but for this next project to be successful we will need to branch out in a big way to gain extra support from the Sunny Coast and Brissy.”
To get involved, telephone Mr Olsen on 0407?633?438 or email larsolsen@forgetmenotchildrenshome.org.au.
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