A SPONSOR VISITS NEPAL

by Kristin Ruether

I found myself headed to Nepal with some free time.  I’d only been a Shanti sponsor for six months, but getting the first letter from “my” sponsored child made a big impression on me, and I wanted to learn more about the school and the kids.  I inquired about a visit, and Pam and the principal of Pegasus School were both extremely friendly and said I was welcome to stay at the Pegasus hostel for a few days.

So on a chilly day in January, I picked my way through the chaotic streets and terrifying traffic of Kathmandu to the Pegasus School, just a few minutes’ walk from the famous Boudhanath Buddhist temple.

After being introduced to a few school administrators, I was welcomed onto the brightly colored Pegasus bus and into the world of the children sponsored by Shanti. The kids were full of energy and hilarity on the bus. At one point, everyone started screaming and waving out of one side of the bus.  I turned and the only thing there was a building.  Puzzled, I asked someone what they were waving at.  She pointed out that the building was reflective.  Ha!

It was a relief to arrive at the respite of the hostel, out of the choking air pollution of Kathmandu, high on a hill against a national park. About 100 of the more disadvantaged kids attending Pegasus school live here.  It’s a beautiful setting with views of Kathmandu, and a large organic vegetable garden that the hostel uses to feed the kids healthy meals.

 It was fascinating to learn where the children were from and hear their stories.  Most of them came from impoverished rural areas where they would not have had access to or money for decent schooling.  The kids LOVED showing me where they were from on my map of Nepal. Several of them are from the Everest region and have last names of Sherpa.  Some are from the extreme northwest and southeast corners of the country, and endure bus trips of over 24 hours to reach home for the holidays.  Several children were orphans, and many more had lost one parent to disease and/or had a sick parent.  But despite or perhaps because of these difficulties, they were without exception grateful to be living at the Pegasus Happy Home (as they call the hostel) and going to school.  In fact, they were extremely joyful and hilarious much of the time.

 I brought some simple art supplies from America. The kids were surprisingly excited and earnest about doing art, and became totally engrossed in drawing and painting.  They all wanted to have a picture taken proudly holding their art. One tiny 6-year-old was a total imp, constantly trying to play tricks on others with a big smile. Here he is successfully "photobombing" my attempt to snap two other boys with their art!

I also spent a few afternoons helping the children write letters to their sponsors back in America.  It was quite sweet to see how much having a sponsor meant to the children.  They were genuinely thrilled that someone was looking out for them. Almost all of them knew their sponsor’s name—and wanted to know if I knew them!

I was also impressed at the quality of education.  The children were smart as whips!
The Nepali education system is more disciplined and regimented than in America, and Pegasus is no exception.  The children wear uniforms, are expected to line up in roll call order at various times during the day.  In the mornings, singsong calls of “Morning Sir!” rang across the yard as students greeted the hostel staffers. The hostel provides structured time for studying in the evenings (often by candlelight) and some fun educational activities on the weekends.  While I was there, they had a spelling bee.  I was astonished at the difficulty of the words:  dicotyledon, monocotelydon, naphthalene, and ammonium among others.  And these were the middle school kids!

 I had terrific talks with many of the children about policy issues such as free speech, air and water pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity.  (Several children were particularly concerned about the plight of honeybees.)  And even fairly young girls understood issues of sexism all too clearly.  One patiently explained to me that education for girls is important because uneducated women do not give their daughters as many vaccines as their sons, and I got the distinct impression her knowledge came first-hand.

 My visit ended with a bang.  The children put on an evening dance program in my honor to say goodbye.  The power was out as usual, but the hostel fired up its gas-powered generator to power the “stage” lights and a surprisingly loud sound system. Several groups of girls did beautiful traditional dances.  Several kids tried their luck at stand-up comedy.  And some older teenage boys even did some rock and roll with a battered drum set, electric guitar, and vocals.  But the highlight was at the end of the program when they blasted “Gangnam Style” and rushed the stage for a dance party.  A horde of kids pulled me from my seat and we all dissolved into hysterics as I tried my best at the dance.  Dancing with the kids, sucking down fumes from the generator powering the deafening beats, looking down at the twinkling lights of the Kathmandu valley, I felt so fortunate to visit this amazing place that is changing kids’ lives, and committed to continuing as a sponsor.