30 November 2014

Bhuti

Stories write themselves over here. I just watch and talk and listen then I throw the words down and I try to put them in the right order.

To do the stories justice.

Stories are just people and places really.

They are snapshots of interactions.

Space and time.

Writing them here in Nepal is easy.

Kathmandu.

Children.

Schools.

New beds.

Dead bugs.

The Holy Dude

I hammer away at my keyboard deep into the night.

I can’t stop writing.

I delivered a package from a very nice Singaporean girl named Yi Ju to a little Nepali girls named Bhuti. Yi Ju visited Nepal recently with one of the groups that my friend Jessie organizes.

Bhuti is I think about 6 years old and she comes from a village far away in the Upper Dolpo region of Northern Nepal. She has been at the Snowland school for nearly 2 years and has not seen her mother or father or brothers or sisters in all that time, She likely wont for another decade.

It is simply too far away and hard to get to.

I am a parent

I cannot comprehend the vastness of the pain of separation and the sacrifices that have been made for these kids to attend school from so far away.

To be apart from parents and family for more than a decade.

This is beyond me.

Yi Ju and Bhuti spent a couple of days playing at the Snowland School in Kathmandu and they took lots of photos together.

Bhuti was a natural.

Photographer that is.

Anyway – Yi Ju knew I was coming to Kathmandu and she asked me to give little Bhuti an album of photos they had taken and a digital camera and charger.

I was just a courier and I didn’t mind at all.

Little Bhuti was overawed and over-joyed.

Me too.

It’s the main thing we try to do with visitors.

We try and connect them with Nepal and the children.

We try and bond them with the country and the people.

We think this is needed by our visitors for them to see and experience the poverty and the opportunity that exists.

To witness first hand the potential and the bravery of the mountain children.

We want them to hear the stories from the sources.

From the kids.

Then we want them to bask in the hope and the joy of it all.

We like it when our visitors bond and connect with individual kids and they watch and they help them grow. Our visitors can and do shape the futures of Nepali children from the mountains in a multitude of ways.

Befriending them.

Helping them live to their potential.

It’s not that difficult.

One learns a lot too.

About the world.

About yourself.

It is the bees’ knees

When I left Snowland this morning – beautiful and smart Savi – the super efficient Administrator of the Snowland School - passed me a note that Bhuti had written to Yi Ju.

She had drawn a picture as well.

I have a few to take back to Singapore and some to send on to the United Kingdom as well.

The children love to write and draw.

Particularly the girls.

The boys like football and basketball.

I have seen quite a few of these letters now over the years and many of the little kids grew.

They are both very beautiful things.

Here is her letter to Ju Yi. I don’t think that either Ju Yi or Bhuti would mind me sharing it:

Dearest Sis Ju Yi

Hi!

I am very happy J to get your letters and photos. And also with lots of your love. Thank you very much for sending me camera. It is very nice. I haven’t forgot your face sister. I am very happy to see your face on photos.

My study is going well and I am in good health with my school family. I am enjoying my days with my friends.

I remember you, You are in left side in photo with red and dark blue shirt. You are wearing glasses. Thanks you so much for your love towards me. I will take many photos in camera then I will show you one day. I’m small so I’m going to give it to our captain to keep it and in holidays and specials days I will get the camera.

I love you and will miss you always J

Your sister

Bhuti


Enough said.

Enough written

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