A slow day today. Breakfast at 8, massage for Judy and archery for me at 9. Then time for settling the bill and getting on the bus at 11:30 to the Chitwan airport. No big delays although we were cordoned off in a section of the departures waiting room to make a corridor for the former prime minister of Sri Lanka. A dozen or two uniformed officers formed a passage way from the front door to the VIP lounge – a distance of maybe 100 feet.
My Sri Lankan politics is a bit shaky but there was a popular uprising in 2022 that forced the president and prime minister to quit and go into self-imposed exile for a few months. The new guy got sworn in today, it turns out. His party holds three seats out of 200-odd so he’s dissolved parliament and they’re holding snap elections soon. The former PM walked right by us. That’s our brush with fame for today.
We’re back home at the Marriott. We had a 3 PM lunch and are chilling for a few hours when some of us will leave for the Himalayan Children’s .Charity It’s a place Reagan and Carter visited six years ago and to which we donate money each year. Zach has visited too.
While waiting, I took a few pictures looking out our hotel room – buildings and houses within easy range. I’m always curious to see how people live. And while this is a small snapshot, I find it interesting. And besides, I don’t have many pictures to post tonight.
The Himalayan Children’s Charities is an organization aimed at kids without a home. Here’s their mission statement:
“Himalayan Children’s Charities creates paths out of poverty for vulnerable children and at-risk youth. Through investment in quality education, innovative mentorship and a loving family environment, we help build lives of leadership.”
HCC focuses on youth in Nepal who have lost homes and families. We met upwards of 20 kids tonight at their home. All were studying at university and many had called HCC home for 10 to 15 years. It was clear that they were living in a happy family environment, albeit a large family. There are two facilities in the area; a third is under development. Currently there are 40-some kids in the program. HCC has supported over 500 children. A truly effective program.
Jeff and I spent some time talking with Beena, a girl who tomorrow will complete her university program, graduating with a degree in tourism. Her final research paper was on rafting. She has lots of interests. She’d like to be a professional tour guide but is also interested in owning and Airbnb. She also mentioned some sort of police work. Someone as outgoing and enthusiastic as Beena will go far no matter what she decides to do.
Beena is also a poet. She told me that sometimes she has an experience or thought that she simply must put on paper in the form of a poem. In one poem she shared with me she expressed her desire to be free, something she finds hard to do in the face of societal norms. Here is an excerpt from one she wrote:
That little place inside me
Where I can feel free
Without the wall
Without the chain
Without the gate
Holding me back in this deep rooted culture
Where men’s fruits are preferred
She goes on to talk about the caste system in marriage:
Parents want their daughter to be married early
So she can’t elope with someone from a lower caste
It matters your caste
A lot
If you marry a lower caste, your parents abandon you
They want to keep their prestige in society
If you marry a higher caste, your in law control you
Several of the kids are studying Information Technology. Jeff and Julie are interested in potential internships with those near graduation. They plan to have them come to Miatri for a tour next time they are in town.
So what started as a slow day ended with a real eye opening and rewarding experience.
