Imagine this is your life and you are only 13
Writing by admin on Tuesday, 27 of September , 2005 at 9:41 pm
Written by Devesh Koirala, 27 September 2005
This is a story of average Nepali lower class children of mountainous regions of Nepal, who after being harassed both by state and the Maoists, internally migrate to the regions that are bigger than their native palace: but only to find more hardship. This is a story to evoke hope in the face of difficult and arduous existence for the better future of their kin and kith.
Early in the morning at around 0600 to 0630, Sudarshan along with all other kids of his village, wakes up and prepares themselves for their daily routine, which for a 13 - yr old boy of developed countries is unimaginable and is out of context. As soon as he finishes his daily ablutions, he heads straight to the broken and tattered bridge near his home Mahadevbesi. Mahadevbesi lies in the Central part of Nepal, mere 60 km from capital Kathmandu. The bridge catches debris under it and it is this thing all the boys of this small village are after. He heads under the bridge to begin his daily work, which first is to search for the rocks that are suitable to be crushed into gravel. Till 0900 he searches for rocks without any breakfast, like a possessed boy he gathers as many a stones he can grab with his tiny hands and places them in a safe place.
After the rocks are placed methodically in a safe place, he heads home to have his one of two meal he has. and what a meal it is which for a kid of his age and work is inadequate>. His family consists of his mother and himself only as his father Bishnu ( Name changed) is convicted in drug-trafficking, which was the only way for him to survive in that new place as he knew nothing of use. After father’s jail term mother Rama ( Name changed) began her work as stone crusher, but the meager income from all days work was not enough to feed her family both times. There were days when there was only Dhindo ( a typical Nepali food made of maize flour boiled in water) and sometimes there were none. Educating her son was out of question, so Sudarshan began his work to finance his studies.
After school he runs to the place where in the morning he had deposited the rocks, and begins to crush those stones with those hands that are supposed to be the future of a country. He crushes and crushes them until he can crush no more, and then leaves for home to do the works assigned by the teachers.
The stone thus crushed is sold to a Children Club named Laliguras which buys these gravel and provides cash to these children and runs the school. All the local boys do the same.
When asked him about his life he says :
“we are living in a place
where richer are getting richer
and poor people like us are becoming poorer and poorer.”
He says he has read about free education until secondary level, about child labor and all but says it is only for the books. If it was so then why am I crushing stones all day. All he thinks about the politicians is that they have their kith and kin to care about, money to care about, but not the real people that are in need. Nobody is there to facilitate their lives in any way. But he is not pessimist, he thinks his dad will be returning soon after his sentence, then may be he could concentrate only in his studies and earn enough to keep his family afloat and do something for his mother.
Category: Nepal
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Comment by admin
Made Thursday, 2 of August , 2007 at 9:43 pm
Comments Migrated from Previous CMS:
linda IP:65.80.147.217 | 2006-01-17 00:06:04
It’s sad that he has to work so young and work’s so hard. Does he have no time to have friends? Can the government not do something to help childrens in Nepal so that they don’t have to work and can have a child’s life. He should be out riding a bicycle playing with friends not having to work so hard. If the Nepali government were to do anything to start their so called Democractic movements, they should first think about hardship of Nepali kids and their rights to childhood.
Guest - korea ma cha keta.. mootu cha IP:210.115.44.111 | 2006-03-14 01:45:42
this is nepal… the realms of poverty… lies in the eyes of beholder.. not those who are on the top of the fountain eloped mountain….
God damn Leader..
I wish their @ downfall as soon as possible…
Jaya Sambh u!!!
Yann - 
IP:58.168.213.30 | 2006-11-21 22:36:34
This poor child! I live in Australia and i get up in the morning, eat a hearty breakfast, get dressed go to school, have a fantastic day! Sure i do chores but nothing compared to this! My parents are divorced, and have a very bad relationship, so when i am sad i think to myself, there are children on this world, like this little boy, that have it much worse then me. I am 12 years old and when i grow up i am going to make it my mission to make poverty a word not as commonly used.
ratna IP:80.4.62.135 | 2006-12-04 12:34:03
i think that it is just so devasting that poverty is still at existence..even in the 21st century..all people care is for themselves..not those around them..im nepelese and im damn proud to be one..but the situations in nepal is unbearable… people face severe poverty and hardship
….something has to be done………..
anil - something has to be done IP:86.137.89.98 | 2006-12-22 14:54:17
our country is a second richest country in water resources then also we are having a poverty in our country.to remove the poverty there should be more pover to remove the poorness.in our country 75%of chldren are uneducated.instead of getting a knowledge they r working in the field of stone cutting and some hard works which the children cannot do.[size=medium][/size][color=black][/color]
anil - some thingto be done IP:86.137.89.98 | 2006-12-22 14:55:27
i think that it is just so devasting that poverty is still at existence..even in the 21st century..all people care is for themselves..not those around them..im nepelese and im damn proud to be one..but the situations in nepal is unbearable… people face severe poverty and hardship
….something has to be done………..
Anju - re: some thingto be done IP:86.137.89.98 | 2006-12-22 14:56:43
[quote=anil]i think that it is just so devasting that poverty is still at existence..even in the 21st century..all people care is for themselves..not those around them..im nepelese and im damn proud to be one..but the situations in nepal is unbearable… people face severe poverty and hardship
….something has to be done………..[/quote]
admin - will our government do anythin IP:66.156.218.180 | 2007-06-16 23:38:17
with so much political struggle, where do these kids fit in in the future of Nepal ?
sammie - conflict has many faces and th IP:203.78.168.170 | 2007-06-21 06:12:45
:sigh this is the truth that have clunched nepal for a decade. poverty is to be allievated, children should be rescued, wake up nepal.
Comment by yourak
Made Wednesday, 12 of March , 2008 at 3:31 pm
i think we have to vote maoist, i want to see what change they can bring, i am not a supporter of maoist but, i don’t think all other corrupted politician who already show there ass to people can’t bring any changes and hopes for poor boy like sudarshan..
we all want our basic need , and sudarshan should have too, at last i want to say your article can be great help to make nepalese in aboard like me to think about nepal and make feel like have to do something
