I am just about halfway into my third week in this children's home and I've become to feel very familiar with the place. The physical comforts of home that are absent here were surprisingly easy to get used to. Admittedly, there isn't all that much to get used to since this part of Nepal has been very comfortably developed. This particular home has both flushing and squat toilets, a water pump outside, a water filter in the kitchen for drinking, and two showers (although most of the children just use the water pump to bathe). There is no hot water, but I don't think I would use it even if it were available since it's so hot and humid here. Electricity cuts out often, which is a problem for almost all of Nepal, but it's really not so terrible. Electricity here is used only for light, fans, and internet. We only need light in the evening when the sun goes down, fans can be easily substituted with whatever scrap of paper is lying around, and internet is hardly used here. To be honest, the biggest adjustment I've made...is getting used to the cockroaches. They are no bigger than the ones that roam freely around Davis, but never have I had them in my room, on my bed, crawling under the covers and flying into my hair. I'm so glad to be sleeping in such close proximity to the boys. One shriek and they fearlessly rescue me from my latest tormentor(s). Not without a healthy amount of teasing, of course. No one here is bothered by the cockroaches, not even the youngest girl. In fact, they are more afraid and disgusted by earthworms. During one rainy night, an earthworm had found its way indoors and I picked it up and placed it back outside. Everyone – girls, boys, and grandmother included -- yelled and stared at me with wide eyes before begging me to wash my hands. It was a very confusing experience, especially since one of the boys literally ripped apart a dead cockroach the other day and fed it to a bird he was holding in his hand, without anyone saying anything about germs or washing hands. Definitely something to get used to.
The place and people have become familiar, but every day I learn more about the children here, whether it's about their lives or their personalities. Almost every first impression I had of the individual children has been dismissed and proven wrong, and I love it. I love learning about the kids and watching them grow; I always imagine who they will become when they are older. I also love hearing about their pasts and plans for the future.
As silly as it sounds, I forget sometimes that these children have lives outside of this home. Not all of the children are orphans. In fact, about half have at least one living parent, and almost all have siblings or known relatives. There are very few who are truly alone. Most of the children are here because their parents or relatives are very poor or disabled, and their siblings are too poor, too far, or too young to support the family. At the children's home, they are provided with meals, shelter, and education. After the children finish their secondary schooling, they have the option to return to their homes or find jobs elsewhere. One of the oldest girls here is 17 years old and training to become a nurse at a nearby hospital.
I've learned many of the children's stories, either through the house father or the children themselves, who, after living with one another and becoming like family, all know about each other's lives and plans. Tonight, as the father was telling me about how one of the youngest boys came to live in the home, I looked around at the children and was struck by how courageous and resilient they are, whether by choice or by force. They have experienced so much more poverty, hardship, and pain than most of the people I know, and yet they push forward with beaming smiles, telling me about how they're going to become doctors and attend university and go home to see their family again. Their stories are similar and different in many ways, and I respect and admire every one of them.
Samantha Yu, undergraduate, Environmental Science & Management, UC Davis
The place and people have become familiar, but every day I learn more about the children here, whether it's about their lives or their personalities. Almost every first impression I had of the individual children has been dismissed and proven wrong, and I love it. I love learning about the kids and watching them grow; I always imagine who they will become when they are older. I also love hearing about their pasts and plans for the future.
As silly as it sounds, I forget sometimes that these children have lives outside of this home. Not all of the children are orphans. In fact, about half have at least one living parent, and almost all have siblings or known relatives. There are very few who are truly alone. Most of the children are here because their parents or relatives are very poor or disabled, and their siblings are too poor, too far, or too young to support the family. At the children's home, they are provided with meals, shelter, and education. After the children finish their secondary schooling, they have the option to return to their homes or find jobs elsewhere. One of the oldest girls here is 17 years old and training to become a nurse at a nearby hospital.
I've learned many of the children's stories, either through the house father or the children themselves, who, after living with one another and becoming like family, all know about each other's lives and plans. Tonight, as the father was telling me about how one of the youngest boys came to live in the home, I looked around at the children and was struck by how courageous and resilient they are, whether by choice or by force. They have experienced so much more poverty, hardship, and pain than most of the people I know, and yet they push forward with beaming smiles, telling me about how they're going to become doctors and attend university and go home to see their family again. Their stories are similar and different in many ways, and I respect and admire every one of them.
Samantha Yu, undergraduate, Environmental Science & Management, UC Davis
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