Kathmandu Dispatch

Flying in over the Himalayas, I felt my heart skip, leaping in my chest. Raw, powerful beauty--the kind that inspires both awe and tears. Little did I know, Nepal was already speaking to me, already writing her name on my heart.

Descending into the Kathmandu Valley, I gazed down at the early morning mist settling hills, covering them in swaths of blue and purple. Brick kilns burned in the distance, spewing smoke and bits of ash. In the next few days, I would come to realize that this essence of contrast and dichotomy was in fact the fabric into which life in Nepal was woven.

Poverty, caste, development induced dependency. The smell of smoke and lingering incense. Mad traffic and dust. Garlands of marigolds and shrines. Kindness and laughter shared with the people. I was in love, and the more I learned, the more it broke my heart.

As Westerners, attending school is something we grow up taking for granted. So much so, that by the time most of us reach high school and college, we brazenly cut class, knowing it will be there tomorrow, and all semester for that matter. We can go out Ferris Bueller style and enjoy the day, without a second thought. But then, there is the alternate reality, not even a parellel universe, for the rabbit hole lies a plane ride away, a turn of the globe.

The plane of existence for Nepali children is one of the starkest I have seen. Two-thirds of the population lives on less than $1 per day. Yes, ONE DOLLAR. At present, Nepal is recovering from civil war, balancing on the edge of civil strife. The country remains one of the ten poorest in the world. Poverty and desperation go hand in hand, resulting in generations of choices between food, education, work and life itself. In this realm, childhood is all too often erased with labor, trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced military service, homelessness and death. Here, seventy-four out of every one-thousand children will not live beyond the age of five. By the age of six, many have seen horrors that we can only imagine in our dreams. Education? This concept is a luxury.

In spite of these odds, child rights adovocates, teachers and communities have risen up. Were there a true Order of the Phoenix, these Nepalis would be it! Working hand-in-hand with agencies such as UNHCR, UNICEF, Child Nepal and others, the government of Nepal is currently working to draft a new constitution, inclusive of the premises outlined in CEDAW, guaranteeing child rights, access to education, stringent labor laws, etc. If ever there were a time to build education, it is now.

Friday, I had one of the most humbling experiences of my life. Arranged by colleagues at Child Nepal and UNHCR, I was able to visit a community school, located in a slum on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The school was started some eight years ago, when women in the community rallied, and demanded a better way of life for their children. They petitioned the government, and before their request was even heard, they began to gather stones and carry them to the site where they hoped the school would be. Powered by prayer, grit and sheer determination, this school has now become a standard ofgovernment and community cooperation: Built by the government, run by the community, funded by advocates, small subsidies, local NGOs and in need of more. It was perfect!

Adressing the issue of children needing to contribute to their household income, the school runs in two shifts. Older children come in the morning, released after lunch so they can work and help around the house. Elementary children attend in the afternoons, freeing their older siblings from having to watch them, and keeping them safe whilst parents are away. Win=win.


In order to keep the school going, however, groups and individuals are solicited to sponsor teacher's salaries, which range between 10,000NRS-12,000NRS per month, roughly $130-150 US Dollars. Supplies not furnished by the government are often bought by the teachers themselves. One computer is housed in the school office, accessible only during times when municipal power is available.

The students? Hope is no longer a luxury. Given the chance to thrive, many children now speak of dreams. Led by a precocious 11 year-old, the school now boasts a social club: A Kathmandu Glee! Under the direction of a part-time teacher/part-time Kollywood actor, the club engages with other area schools, in order to compete in singing competitions and other intra-school activities. The club is further mentored by former students, who have gone on to pursue higher studies.

As I walked down the path leading to the school, I was not prepared for what came next: I wasgreeted with singing, garlands of marigolds and white scarves. Tears welled up in my eyes. I looked over my shoulder and saw the white caps of the Himalayas. Awe and tears. My heart was humbled. As I turned back to the smiling faces, all I could muster was “Namaste”. In that moment, the god in them, was my whole world.