“Nothing is impossible if we try!” – Phurbu S.
Please enjoy more essays by our bright young ladies at the Himalayan Hope Home in Kathmandu. Thank you for sharing your lives with us, ladies! Your insights about the impact of education and the importance of providing good education to people in Nepal and in rural villages is so true. You are the future of your country!
When I Was In Second Position Among Them
By Phurba S.
I am in grade six now, and there are 24 students in our class. I am in second position in the class and I feel very happy and proud to be in this position.
When I was living in my village, I used to be in the pass position. At that time, I really didn’t know the power of reading, so, I didn’t study hard. But these days, I know how important it is to study, so I work hard.
I came to Kathmandu and was admitted to a nongovernment school. The other students seemed very talented. English language was very new and hard for me, but I kept practicing. When I was in grade 4, I got fifth position in my final exam among 35 students. I was very excited and happy to be in the top five. After that success, I got more excited and worked harder. By the end of grade 4, I was in third position.
I realized that my progress was the result of my hard work. Nothing is impossible if we try. I developed more confidence, all the teachers loved me, they said good thing about me. I was very happy and I wanted to improve my position.
Now I am in grade 6 and in our third term examination I got second position where I still remain. I am very happy to be second, even though I want to be in first position of my class. So I am working very hard to get in that position and I believe in my hard work.
When I Had My First Menstruation
By Pasang lhamu S.
When I was 13 years old, I used to be happy when my sisters told me that I would soon become a teenager. Once, sitting together in a group on a Saturday evening, our sister taught us about menstruation. She said that menstruation is a very natural process and a great gift from nature to us girls.
I was feeling little bit different that morning. In the daytime, we went to a jungle to hike. We decided to climb a hill that would take us 3 hours to reach the top. Suddenly my lower stomach started to hurt. I told to my sister and she suggested that I drink some water and rest for a while. I said I could walk and we continued our hiking. I was getting well, the weather was very good, and I enjoyed the birds singing and the fresh air from the jungle. When we reached home, I went to the toilet and I found something different. My underwear was wet, and I had some blood down there. I was surprised, and said, “Oh! I am maturing.” I understood that it was my menstruation. I went to our sister, and she gave me some pads. She also told me how to use them, how we keep our body clean when we menstruate, and not to hide any problem, share all the problems with her. I felt so comfortable and confident.
I had read some conservative thoughts of our country. In the remote area of Nepal, women still have to go to the shed while they menstruate. Some are not allowed to go to into a kitchen or to temples. The people in remote areas make these rules because they think that menstruation is a bad thing. It is dirty. I feel very bad for those people.
I also feel lucky to be with educated people who understand me. I think we have to share our problems with our older sisters or with anyone from whom we can get help.
A Crash in Nepal
By Krishma S.
Monday, March 12, 2012 was a very unfortunate day for the Nepali people and for so many others. That was the day a plane named US Bangala crashed on landing at Tribhuvan international airport in Nepal. It was so dangerous I don’t want to think about it, but we have to face an accident when it happens.
I was very shocked by hearing that terrible news. I also heard that there were a number of M.BBS. students. They had passed their exam and were coming back to Nepal feeling happiness. But who knows the future! Some of the students didn’t even see their parents who had sold their property or taken out big loans to send them away for their studies.
It was a very sad moment to watch the news on TV. I realized that Nepal lost a big number of doctors. And the hard-working parents lost their children, their hope, future and everything. If our country has good universities, why would they leave Nepal to get an education? At the same time, it occurred to me to ask whose mistake caused that accident? Our nation and our people have to take responsibility and think about this very seriously.
The Small World USA 