Case studies: former SOS child Surkhet, Nepal

Nawaraj Sapkota, a former youth from Nepal shares his childhood experiences.

An opportunity to live a decent life

I was born in Siraha, a remote village in Nepal. My father was the eldest son in the family of six brothers and two sisters. He was working in the Police and was posted in the most dangerous district. After five months of marriage he was killed in a firing between the dacoits and the Police. At that time my mother was pregnant. She did not receive any medical attention and died while giving birth to me.

After one year I was brought to Kathmandu by my maternal Uncle. Later my grandparents also shifted to Kathmandu. Due to poverty I was not sent to any school. At the age of six my grandfather left me in a rich person’s house to do household work and migrated to some other place. I was left alone weeping to do small works assigned to me.

Fortunately one day my Uncle came to see me. I wept bitterly and urged him to take me to my grandfather. My grandparents were living in a dark rented room. They were hardly able to make their ends meet in the capital of Nepal. Their condition was so miserable that I was taken to another rich person’s house to do household work.

One evening I fell asleep due to exhaustion. Three hours later my employer woke me up to do the washing. But I couldn’t and slept again. After some time he again woke me up, throbbed me and pushed me out of the room and shut the main door.

I begged him but he did not listen. I started walking on the road and found a building which was under construction. I took two thick cement sacks and spent that horrible night there. Next morning I went back and begged pardon. After four days they called my grandfather and I returned back in their small, dark room.

Growing up at Surket, Nepal

One of the neighbours told my grandparents about SOS Children Nepal. My grandfather took me to SOS Children’s Village Surkhet. When I saw the place I felt as if I was in heaven. The buildings looked beautiful, the gardens were well kept and the staff was very polite. They kept my records and took my picture. My grandfather looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “I am leaving you here for your better future, do well in life remembering every difficulty you have faced.”

Then he went without looking back. I gazed at him till he faded away from my eyes. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. In the meantime a lady came, held my hand and took me inside her house. She gave me something to eat. I addressed her as sister but she told me to call her mother.

For me everything was new, I had never slept on a bed before nor sat on a dining table. In a couple of days I started enjoying my new life. In the beginning I was given some tuition at home as I had not been to school before. My mother helped me to cope up in studies. After the tutor left she would sit with me and explain the difficulties.

At times I would talk to mama about my past and ask her why this happened with me. But she was always positive about the future and would urge me to look ahead in life. She did for me more than a real mother could do.

With the support of my mother I completed High School and started teaching in a private school. Then I heard of a vacancy in SOS School Surkhet. I applied and was selected for the post of a teacher.

Three years later I married a girl from Nepalgunj. Now I have a family, my daughter is six months old. Today I am living happily with my family. I am grateful to SOS Children’s Village Surkhet who gave me an opportunity to live a decent life. As a service to society I plan to give free coaching to children from underprivileged families so that they get a chance to study and do well in life.

SOS Children has been working in Nepal since the 1970s and gives a family for life to more than 100 children at the SOS Children's Village Surkhet. The SOS School at Surket provides access to education for over 400 children from the children's village together with those from the local community. In addition the SOS Social Centre provides day care and practical support, such as skills training and family support, to over 1,700 children.

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