A team of IHH officials and volunteers visited a women's refuge in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, which is run by patner Islami Sangh Nepal, as part of the Orphans Solidarity Days campaign. There, the IHH team was informed about their problems and the services provided for them at the refuge.

Islami Sangh representative informed IHH that the refuge was established to help Muslim women in the city, where Muslims make up a mere 1% of the Kathmandu's population. They told IHH that the refuge was opened to provide Hindu women who had converted to Islam and thus been banished from their social circles with a place to stay.

The refuge also provides work experience courses, allowing the women to learn and find work so that they can look after themselves in the future. When they find work or get married, they often leave and make way for new women to stay at the center, the representatives said.

The number of women staying at the refuge varies from time to time, as the aim of the refuge is to help the women stand on their own two feet and get them re-integrated into the society as soon as possible.

Having first been established seven years ago, the refuge has for the past year been supported by IHH. During the visit, IHH officials handed out toys brought from Turkey to the children who also stay at the refuge, as well as sweets.

While visiting, two Nepalese people - a man and a woman - came to the refuge to make their declaration of faith and embrace Islam. Choosing the names Muhammad and Fatma for themselves, the couple was congratulated by the IHH team.

Throughout the country, Muslims make up 4.5% of the 27.5 million strong population of Nepal. According to Nepal's Central Statistics Bureau, the population in 2011 stood at 26.6 million.