By Margo Miller & Pasang | Artist Writer and Hope girl
In Their Own Voices: The Writers of the Himalayan Hope Home
The Himalayan Hope Home in Kathmandu was founded as a place of refuge and support for at-risk girls from underprivileged communities in remote Nepal. Girls who are vulnerable to trafficking and abuse are provided a safe home, parental care, and every opportunity for their holistic development. Thirty orphaned or abandoned girls now enjoy being part of a family, and receive education, proper nutrition, clothing, and health care. At Hope Home, their lives are precious, and so is their childhood. They don’t just dream; they learn how to achieve their dreams.
The Himalayan Hope Home believes that every girl is entitled to an education and a voice in the world. And now, through a mentoring project, some of the girls at Hope Home have taken expression a step further, developing their written voice—in English. Their essays about life at Hope Home have been included in The Color of Hope: Abstract Paintings in Acrylic and Collage, a collection partly inspired by artist Margo Miller’s recent experience in Nepal and time spent at Himalayan Hope Home.
Over the next few months we’ll be sharing the lives and experiences of some of the resident girls of the Himalayan Hope Home, in their own words.
Enjoy the words of Pasang below. You can also watch artist Margo Miller read Pasang’s essay at the opening reception of The Color of Hope: Abstract Paintings in Acrylic and Collage in Dallas,Texas in January 2018.
My Life Before and After Hope Home by Pasang , Grade 7
We girls are very happy in Hope Home. This is our new home where we are getting more love, opportunities, happiness, care, and facilities than in our old homes.
I used to get up early in the morning, drink tea, and run to collect grass for the cattle or collect wood for the fire. Now I get up early in the morning, have tea and study. I used to go school sometimes wearing with dirty clothes, here I have clean clothes and regular school. I didn’t know anything about the value of education, now I know very well how important education is for us, and why we have to work hard.
I did not have any purpose when I was in my village. I used to live with my grandfather and grandmother. I used to think that I would grow up to have the same life as my grandparents. I even didn’t know that there was another village behind our village. I used to think that our village was the only world. I came to Hope Home and got so much new knowledge.
My English was very poor in the beginning, but now people understand what I am saying. I was very shy and nervous before, but my confidence developed after I came to Himalayan Hope Home. I now understand my duties for my society and for this world.
I am very thankful to all the people who help make us happy.
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