When earthquakes struck Nepal in April and May, killing more than 8,700 people, relief poured in from around the world. That included aid from a group of friends in Kyoto, for whom the people of Nepal were not far off strangers but friends, and almost family members, who they'd been assisting for many years, especially children.

In 2005, Kyoto-based foreign residents Kevin Ramsden, Max Dodds and John Ashburne decided to financially sponsor children at the Laliguras Children's Home, which was established by the Nepal YMCA to take care of 10 orphans, semi-orphans and children who were destitute.

The facility is about 15 km from the center of Kathmandu.