Give Hope and an Education to 7 Kids in Nepal

Shari Davis & Ellen Currin are InTheField Travelers with GlobalGiving who are visiting our partners’ projects throughout Nepal. Their “Postcard” from their most recent visit in Nepal:

 Ama Ghar is a lovely place to grow up: the garden is overflowing with flowers, there is a spacious house with plentiful art and musical instruments, and the mountain air is fresh. Although all of the  younger children were at school during our visit, it was easy to imagine the 48 students of Ama Ghar playing and filling the space with laughter. The outside of the house is styled like a beautiful Nepali building, but the inside is open, modern and full of light. It is equipped with green waste management, water-conserving plumbing, and practical/multi-purposeful designs. Throughout the home, bulletin boards are filled with photos of the children’s drama performances, their art projects, or newspaper articles. I was most impressed by the shelves and shelves of books that filled Ama Ghar’s library! We met one older girl who had been at Ama Ghar for 11 years. When we asked her whether she liked Ama Ghar, her face lit up with a smile instantly and she answered “Yes!” 

During our visit, The Ama Foundation’s Country Director, Bonnie Ellison, served us tea and spoke with us about the children’s schooling. For the past 10 years, Ama Ghar has been her home and the children have been her children! She pushes the children to work hard and achieve high marks in school, explaining that “passing grades” in school are not high enough to be “passing grades” in Ama Ghar. She also shared the future goals of the older students: they range from hotel management to engineering to electrical training. The hope is for every student who passes through Ama Ghar to come out with a marketable skill. 

Our afternoon in Godawari passed quickly as we toured the grounds and spoke with staff and students. I was so impressed by the facilities and care that the children receive at Ama Ghar. The fresh air, the beautiful landscape, and the welcoming house made leaving very difficult!

Sajan Shakya, 19 years old, was one of the original children to come to Ama Ghar in 2001. His family is from the wood carving village of Bungamati, where some of Nepal’s most beautiful wood work, in the style of the Newari people of the Kathmandu Valley, is done. His family could no longer care for him, and he came to Ama Ghar at the age of 9.

Sajan has always been incredibly strong and athletic – he’s a very good cricket and soccer player and excels when he is able to go on an outing to the Kathmandu Climbing Wall – his exceptional strength takes him to the top! Although he is a big, strong boy, he is very gentle and is a wonderful big brother and mentor to the younger boys at Ama Ghar.

He has worked hard at his studies, too. In fact, his hard work has taken him to the top of his class – he had some of the highest scores on the national SLC examination, which determines whether or not young Nepalis can go on to higher education. He passed his SLC exam with Distinction.  Now that he’s entering his second year at Little Angels College, he is showing that he still has the same focus and perseverance – he passed his final exams after his first year with high marks.

He is studying Business, but has always wanted to be in the Nepali Army, as he has a strong desire to help his country. We are sure that his dedication, fitness, intelligence and compassion will help him to become an officer and the type of leader that is sorely needed in Nepal and the world. Your generosity helps Sajan to realize his dreams - thank you.

Links:

• www.ama-foundation.org