our visit with the chepang children!
by tahlia nakarmi
updated 01/02/21
We visited the children just before Christmas 2020 and spent 2 full days with them.
It has been more than one year since we have been able to visit the children in person, so as you can imagine we were all really excited to see them and find out how they are.
WORKSHOP
As the children are getting older and starting to think about life after year 10 (in Nepal high school finishes with year 10, the students attend college for years 11 and 12) we decided to conduct a small workshop about career choices and career development.
Sunita, our community development coordinator, conducted this session with the children. The kids were very excited to start thinking about their future and they actively participated. Sunita emphasized two major points:
- Steps to help choose their career (discovering themselves, exploring available options, making a decision and taking action)
- The only people responsible for their career development is themselves.
These were new concepts for the children, it was really nice to see the children soak up this new information with enthusiasm. Sunita will continue to provide career guidance for the children, especially those who are in higher secondary so that once they complete high school they will have the confidence and the knowledge on which steps to take to achieve their goals.
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
After the career workshop, we gave all the children Christmas presents. We were really blessed with the kid’s reactions. They weren’t expecting gifts and were so incredibly happy and thankful. We provided them with a tracksuit set for winter and socks. The girls also received scarves and the boys received beanies. It was really cute, as soon as they received their presents they ran into their rooms, got changed and put on a fashion show for us. It is not often I meet people who are so genuinely shocked to receive presents and so appreciative.
After the Christmas presents, we all had dinner together and we sang and danced the night away.
SAFARI, GAMES & MOMO’S
The next day, we organized for the children along with their caregivers to arrive at Sauraha National Park at 7am and they went on a 2hr jeep safari in the jungle.
They could barely contain their excitement! They saw elephants, birds, deer and bears. The little kids couldn’t stop talking about the peacock with its beautiful tail.
After lunch we went for a walk and played some games on a field. They loved being outside in the sun running around. During lockdown they weren’t allowed to leave their house so they had been stuck inside for over six months. This was the first time they played outside and they took advantage of every second of it. We had momo’s for dinner and the children returned home.
It was such a refreshing time for us to be with the kids, hear about their studies and to watch them really care and look out for each other. We are so proud of who they are becoming and I really look forward to seeing them continue to work hard on their education so they can become the adults they want to be.
COLLEGE STUDENTS
At the beginning of 2020, three of our previously sponsored children completed year 10 – Rita, Jit and Indra. While our educational commitment to them was finished, we still invited them to join us for the career workshop and the fun day. Growing up in a hostel, the kids are all very close-knit and we felt it only right to include them and find out what they’re up to.
Rita, during lockdown started smashing rocks in her village with their father so she could earn enough money to move to Chitwan and enrol in college. She has found a good job as a waitress and is enrolled in an English Medium College. She is paying her room rent, food and all college fees herself. She asked if we could help with one new uniform and some textbooks. We were so impressed with her initiative and determination to continue her education that we agreed to help pay towards her uniform and textbooks.
As for Jit and Indra, they were both a little lost as to what their next steps after school could be. It is a big deal coming from a village and moving to a city with no money and not really understanding how it works. Therefore, we have worked with both of them and they are now enrolled in college. We spoke to the principal of where the rest of the children go to school and he offered Jit and Indra a spot in the hostel for a very, very discounted rate. Honestly, we were shocked at how much he was willing to discount the price for them – he also has a heart for the Chepang community and wants them to continue their education so that they can make positive and long-lasting changes within their communities.
Additionally, we were able to help Indra get a full scholarship at an English medium school studying management and Jit was able to get a partial scholarship for his three-year civil engineering bachelor degree. Indra has found a job as a cleaner in a photo studio while Jit is still searching.
A big reason I want to continue our relationships and support (not necessarily financial but guidance/help) with the children who completed year 10 is because they can’t necessarily make the big changes in their communities they want to make with just a high school certificate. Higher education is necessary to be taken seriously and they will also learn and understand how things work outside of their community. For change to happen within their communities they will need the support of local organizations, rotary clubs and the government and so we aim to help them live life outside of the hostel and their village to help them understand what it really means to be independent.
I also want to make sure that they learn things just aren’t given to them as adults. They need to work hard and smart for what they want. I want For the One to be a support and help but at the end of the day I want all the children to take ownership of their own lives and be the changes they want to see in their communities!
Thank you to everyone who has donated and is continuing to donate for these children. They are taking advantage of this opportunity to the fullest and I really wish I could properly convey how much these kids have changed in the five years I have known them. They were shy, hardly spoke and felt intimidated BUT now they are confident, speak English, are incredibly respectful and hardworking.
The kids and the For the One team can’t thank you enough for your support!
Tahlia