While I was in Nepal a few months back, I ran into a very dedicated young man, Rajesh Dhakal. I was very touched by his story and have decided to share it with sajha friends.
Rajesh is from a middle-class farming family from Mulpani, a village on the outskirts of the Kathmandu valley. Rajesh is a photo journalist by profession. While going around his own and neighboring villages to take pictures for his work, his lenses captured not only the beautiful landscapes and views of Kathmandu-villages but also the suffering and agony in the eyes of poor, unpriveleged kids. He then decided that he wasn't just going to look at these kids and feel sorry for them but actually do something. He said he for sure was confused and didn't know what to do but was determined to help them! So, he started by asking his own family members to donate some money on their birthdays. This way he was able to collect some money. He had also talked to the local private schools and was able to lower the tuition and other academic related costs to admit one of these kids. Soon after, he was able to get the second one in. With his continuous effort and help from other activists in the community, he was able to start a non-profit organization, "Abhibhara Nepal". His organization is now able to help eight children attend school. "Every month is a struggle", said Rajesh, as his group fear of losing students, for not being able to cover their tuition cost.
I had a chance to visit one of the sponsoring schools and meet the kids. It brought tears to my eyes to see these kids enjoy school! I then decided to support such a wonderful cause and help them in anyway I could.
Rajesh has recently informed me that his group have started a website and would like me to spread words among the Nepali and other friends in the US. I know that the Sajha members have always encouraged and supported such work, so I have decided to post it here. If you would like to see the progress of "Abhibhara Nepal" and help the children, please check out the website: http://www.abhibharanepal.org.np
Please also forward it to your friends and families who might be interested in helping them.
Rajesh has informed me that there are some technical errors on the website and his group is working towards fixing them. If you have any suggestions, questions or comments, please email them.
Thanks for reading!
