By Rupa Joshi
KASKI AND CHITWAN DISTRICTS, Nepal, 10 January 2008 – Another Hollywood movie star might have felt strange in a remote and impoverished area of Nepal, but actor Orlando Bloom seemed perfectly at ease.
A recent UNICEF-supported visit to Nepal took Mr. Bloom on a four-day journey to various programme sites in the western districts of Kaski and Chitwan.
Accompanying Mr. Bloom on the trip were UNICEF South Asia Regional Director Dan Toole and UNICEF Representative in Nepal Gillian Mellsop. Besides touring UNICEF programmes, he visited Chitwan National Park and Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
Women in Kalika village welcomed Mr. Bloom by smearing his forehead with red ‘tika’ and putting garlands of flowers around his neck.
In Kalika village, Mr. Bloom’s forehead was smeared red with the ‘tika’ with which local women had welcomed him, and he wore garlands of flowers they had given him upon his arrival with the guests from UNICEF. [....]
In Pokhara village, Mr. Bloom mingled with over three dozen blind girls and boys. He also played a small role in a mini-drama the children were recording that day for the UNICEF-supported radio programme ‘Saathi Sanga Manka Kura’ (Chatting with My Best Friend).
The drama dealt with the plight of girls in a hostel without a female warden. Mr. Bloom played the role of a guest who tries to offer the girls advice. “Talk about your problems,” he said, consulting the script provided by the children. “There’s no need to feel shy. It’s always good to talk about issues that concern you.”
More and a videoclip here.
Picture thanks to Just Jared
