Stories of the Children | Stories of the Children |
|
|
|
|
Fly Over the Sky Far off the gravel path, down the hill, a half hour’s walk from the village, Geeta's small hut was squeezed into an old wooden house. A space the size of large closet housed a cluttered kitchen, bedroom and living room for Geeta, her two younger brothers, and the father, Tilak Bhadur. The family has no constant source of income because of Tilak’s poor health and because his wife and the children’s mother ran away some years ago, with no warning or explanation. Tilak was well aware that his wife was not happy with him, but he did not know why. He still hopes that one day she will return.
After Geeta was awarded a scholarship by the Foundation, she was asked in front of her village what she wants to do when she graduates from school some day. Most of the time when girls are asked this question, they either mention being a teacher or a nurse since these are the only two professions that they have heard of that are suitable for a woman. It was all the more surprising when Geeta hesitated before answering the question in front of a crowd of her peers. She was obviously embarrassed about something. Finally, Geeta looked up and pointed at the sky. What did that mean? What was she pointing to? After some back and forth with our translater, he finally said with a smile, “Fly. She wants to fly a plane.” “She wants to be a pilot?” “Yes, that’s it, a pilot. She wants to fly airplanes in the sky.” This was certainly an unusual career goal for a girl in a country in which there may not have been a single female pilot. What could she possibly be thinking and where did this unusual idea come from? “Geeta,” we asked gently so as to not embarrass her further. “Have you ever seen an airplane before?” She nodded solemnly. “Yes, one time I saw one fly over our village.” She pointed to the sky once again as if tracking its trail across the horizon. When questioned further, Geeta disclosed through tears that she hoped by flying in the sky she might be closer to her mother who abandoned her long ago. An Escape From Hunger
Sabita’s father spent most of the day roaming around the nearby jungle, hanging out with friends and getting drunk each evening. The family has no regular source of income so that the children were only allowed one meal each day consisting of rice and lentils. In spite of her hardships, Sabita studies for many hours each night by candlelight. It is a way for her to escape her hunger, but also to feed her dream that some day she might do something meaningful with her life. Scholarship Recipients from the Bamboo School in Bhaktapur
These are the first Madhav Ghimire Scholarship recipients from one of the "Bamboo Schools" in Nepal. There are five such schools that have all been built through local donations and the generosity of visitors. Their mission is help the poorest, most neglected children in the most isolated region of the country.
Scholarship Recipients from Bahundanda
Bahundanda is the birthplace of Madhav Ghimire, located on top of a mountain in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas. It is where the National poet spent his formative years as a teacher. There are several of the gifted children we are supporting with scholarships. A Proud Grandfather
This grandfather holds one of his grandchildren as he watches the ceremony in which we honor his grandaughter for receiving a scholarship. Speeches are made by our volunteers emphasizing how important it is that the girl be allowed to complete her education rather than be married or sold. |
With so little income and almost no resources, Geeta, the daughter, would have to be pulled out of school. She was a highly motivated and talented student with great potential, but Tilak felt he had no choice. He must find a husband for his 12 year old daughter, or if that fails, perhaps give her to a man who claims he can find her a job in 
It was just so difficult for Sabita's mother to accept her husband’s decision to pull their daughter out of school. Sabita was a gifted student, clever beyond her 12 years, and one of the best students in her class. She had ambitions to be a nurse some day so that she might help others in her village of Saranpur that is so isolated from the rest of the world.
