The story was mine to tell

Stories are important, they can change lives. The stories of these children and of their care taker changed mine. I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today, if it wasn’t for them.

I have lived with them for five weeks of my life, at the end of 2011. I was on a journey to make a dream come true, I was on a path to get closer to who I was, or wanted to become.

An orphan myself, I wanted to help orphan children. I had eventually reached that point in my life when I felt I was ready to face myself as a child, by facing them; when I felt I had made peace with my growing up and I was ready to give. I healed, and I was healed in return.

I was humbled by them: by their serenity in the toughest conditions, by their wisdom at a very early age, by their hard work and strong determination as pupils, by their warmth and open hearts. One of the happiest times I will be carrying as a dear memory forever, is the time we had been reading stories, by the candle lights, in late cold November evenings… Simple moments of pure happiness, they were.

I had to leave Kathmandu, but I knew I would not be leaving them behind. I knew they had become part of my life. I knew I had nine weddings to go back to… by the time I left the home on December 22^nd, 2011, there were nine children in the house. I knew Kamala was the most genuine social worker, having built a home for helpless children out of pure love and belief in a better way. I felt they were my responsibility.

I still feel this today. Far, far away from a small crowded home in Kathmandu that hosted me for a while, I want to help with what I can and how I know. I reach out to you, so that these children have the security of a roof above their heads, so that Kamala does not have to worry she would not be able to keep them in school or feed them all; so that she herself can study and take the running of the organization in her own hands with confidence. I dream of seeing her without the worries of tomorrow, and of knowing they all can remain together.

And I rely on you all, to share this responsibility with me.  Very little can be done in silence, almost nothing can be accomplished in solitude, or indifference. We need to hold hands for a better, safer tomorrow.