ROKPA Times November 2017 - The World of ROKPA Children

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Editorial Photo: © Lea Wyler CONTENT Dear friends of ROKPA The edition of the ROKPA Times you are holding in your hands is a very special one. We moved our writing desk 6,835 kilometers – from our headquarters in Zurich to the ROKPA Children’s Home in Kathmandu. Thanks to your support, former street children, now educated and well looked after, are giving us an insight into their lives with their stories, photos and drawings. One of the contributors is 14-year-old Pravin: He grew up on the street, his parents are both blind. The three of them had to beg for their food every day. His parents had to tie a bell around his foot, so that he could not crawl away from them unnoticed! Today, Pravin is a lively teenager who cares lovingly for the younger ROKPA children – and does not need bells to keep track of them (see page 6). Unfortunately we do not have the space to print all the stories and drawings. One of these stories is a philosophical poem about a rose, written by the 16-year-old Badal. I would like to at least share with you an interpretation of it: "Life is like a rose. At first we prick our fingers at the thorns when we pick them, before we can enjoy their beauty." The very fact that these children and young people can tell us about their fate, indeed that they can read and write at all – unfortunately, is sadly still not a matter of course. In Kathmandu, hundreds of terrified children still live on the street today. We may not be able to help every one of them; but we should at least try. Let us then, stop for a moment at the sound of the Christmas bells and think of these children whom fate has not treated kindly. Together, let us take them by the hand, one after the other. Yours Editorial 2 Giving the children a voice / Thoughts of a former street child 3 AT HOME: Being part of a large family – Two sisters tell their story 4 AT HOME: A place for me to stay / My best friend is always there for me 5 PERSPECTIVES: I want to earn enough so that my father doesn’t have to beg / Candidates for the ROKPA Hospitality Training 6 PERSPECTIVES: I will always keep developing myself / My dream 7 ROKPA SPIRIT: To see with the heart 8 ROKPA SPIRIT: Coming together in time of need / Shaping role models 9 ROKPA NEWS 10 Youth Engagement / I work for ROKPA because... 11 Board of ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Lea Wyler, President and Co-Founder / Peter Fanconi, Vice-President / Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche / Gelong Thubten / Andreas Vollenweider Imprint Editorial Staff: Editorial team ROKPA Children’s Home, coordinated by Krishna Hari / Corinna Biasiutti / Marlis Lüscher / Caterina Meier-Pfister / Thomas Stettler / Tina Zaugg Proofreading: Liane Brand (www.lianebrand.ch) Graphics: Renée Reust Translation: Kaja Kurczewska Cover Photo: © Raymond Meier Back Cover Photo: © Tal Siano Photos: © Bollag Family / Robert Bösch / Krishna Hari / Tsering Dawa / Ram Hari Khadka / Marlis Lüscher / Raymond Meier / Francesca Pfister / Tal Siano / Lea Wyler Drawings: © Bikal / Dipesh / Kunsang / Pema Sangmo / Sumit Text: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Circulation: 6.700 Copies Lea Wyler Co-founder and President of ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Printed on Recycling-Paper, produced according to specifications of “The Blue Angel“.
ROKPA CHILDREN’S HOME Giving the children a voice Photos: © Robert Bösch, Raymond Meier Usually, it is us at the ROKPA headquarters who give you the latest news about the children in our project countries. This time, we asked the children from our Children’s Home in Kathmandu to tell us about their everyday life, their challenges and their successes and also about their dreams. Their words paint for you, our donors, a personal and first hand picture of their life in the Children’s Home. We have arranged these touching snapshots of their lives thematically: In the "At Home" section, the authors recall the first years of their childhood – a time that was often difficult, but also contained moments of happiness. They also tell us their very first thoughts and feelings when they joined the Children’s Home and what the ROKPA family means to them. The "Perspectives" section gives an insight into the diverse professional activities and plans of the young people. Helping people help themselves is a core tenet of ROKPA. We want children to reach adulthood not only with a complete education but also with the skills and abilities to stand on their own two feet. The third section is devoted to the "ROKPA Spirit". Again and again, outside of school, the children are involved in helping other needy children and in this way give forward to others the help which had once been given to them. I hope these personal contributions give you just as much joy as they have given me. Sincerely Corinna Biasiutti General Manager of ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Nepali Flag, Bodnath Stupa, Cultural sites and temples Dipesh 14 years old Thoughts of a former street child Krishna Hari | 21 years old We see them every day, everywhere. They beg, they look dirty and they are sometimes insolent. The people don’t like them and don’t speak to them. Why? Because they are all busy with their own lives. The street children are a big problem in Nepal. According to estimates, there are more than 7,000 in the urban areas of Nepal. Loss of parents, domestic violence, lack of education or exploitation in the workplace are just some of the reasons why children and young people live on the street. Often, it may seem that many of these children are glad to be on the street. Some were exploited while living at home. They are able to earn some money with begging and small work. Unfortunately, they spend it all on glue*. These children need protection and an education. We have a responsibility to help them. Those with a big heart can help. I myself was a street child once and I thank all of you who help street children instead of judging them. * Editor’s note: The children sniff glue to intoxicate themselves and forget their hunger. 3
Page 1: The World of ROKPA Children A Speci
Page 5 and 6: AT HOME Sumit 9 years old Bijay, he
Page 7 and 8: PERSPECTIVES Bikal 12 years old The
Page 9 and 10: ROKPA SPIRIT Kunsang 13 years old
Page 11 and 12: ROKPA TEAM Youth Engagement Ella is

ROKPA Times November 2017 - The World of ROKPA Children

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