Serious Post: Nepal's Prision Children+Money

The awkward moment when you run around like a madman in a public place when your favorite team scores only to realise that the scoreboard remains unchanged. Arsenal's first defeat of the season was hard to take. *sobs*

Anyways... the blog post that's right in front you was written some time ago only to be neglected and ignored due to other pressing matters. But since it is festival season now (햐피 추석!),I finally found some breathing space to upload this. here goes...

break.

I am supposed to be doing my assignment but i find it increasingly hard to concentrate with all the annoying little details that has been playing hide and seek, touchy touchy, 7 stones, sopranos and how i met your dog inside that bloody head of mine. So yeah i am here desperate to get rid of anything from up there.

 

Between my usual "massive" cardio between classes and TA's persistent wake up calls in the classroom, I have been keeping myself sane by working with the writers of Quill. Now, as one the editors, i am supposed to discuss what ideas they have, give them advice, look after their idea drafts, rough and final drafts and think about the total layout of the section that i am responsible for. Don’t get me wrong, I love the job. Its just that its amazing to hear some writers say they have nothing to write about.

 

I ask them "Nothing?"

literally nothing.

 

Now this is something i cannot seem to understand. How on earth can you have nothing to write about? you go to shit in the toilet, you have something to write about. You go to the stupid cafeteria to eat wood, you have something to scribble. You go to the class and sleep, you STILL have something to write. I know this is not magazine material that I hope for but you get where I am going with this.

 

Meanwhile, i just seem to have too much things to chatter about. There's something wrong here.

 

Specifically for this blog alone, i have plethora of options to go about. But i choose to write about that something that has a rather serious tone to it. I will do my very best to keep you awake throughout but if it gets too much, you might just as well click on the cross mark on right top corner of your page. (i.e. if you are a windows person)

 

The prison children of Nepal have rather unfortunate circumstances. Born into a cramped, dark cell they find themselves in dilemma of being free or staying with their convicted parents. With no people to take care of them outside those barbed wires, they accept their fate and make peace with reality. As they grow up, they are skewed from their usual development creating cause for concern regarding their future. Fortunately though, there are good people working on to change this.

 

Last year we had this exchange student from the Netherlands who I got to know as the semester went on. This one time, we had this very brief chat about how a small amount of donation could help educate children back home in Nepal and that was it. Just before he left for the orange nation, he handed me a card and 100 dollar bill saying "for the prison children of Nepal"

 

The cash now is now aiding a 7th grader get through her studies back home. She was born to a convicted mother and with a father completely absent or lost, she had no option but to grow up with other prison children. An organization now run by the sister of late Parijat is helping her to, as they say, "get on her feet"

 

It is remarkable to think that such amount could actually make a difference to lives. We talk about how we want to change something in our society, we make haste and accomplish little. There are good people working but they need our support.

 

Another such warm work has been to feed and collectively rehabilitate street children in Banepa. One of the family that i have certain relation to is helping these desperate kids to, again, "get on their feet". They require more funds if they are to expand.

 

The irony lies here. We are still students, much in need of financial help ourselves. For myself, I am shamelessly dependent on Maskey seniors to help me feed my ever growing appetite. Should I help myself or do I feedback some portion to the kids? The answer is: I should be selfish. Simple as that.

 

But then to think that you can make an impact here and now is something thats really hard to resist. An investment now on these kids means "brighter" tomorrow for them. Money does make a difference. Supplying money now, will make the difference.

 

When i was back at that store working, i was able to save quite a bit to bankroll my beer drinking ventures. i was also able to save some for the kids and send it back home through a process popularly called "Hundi". The guy here gets the money and his guy there gives the money to the person intended to. Its faster, cheaper and way easier than going through all the bank necessities

 

Again, dont get me wrong here.I am not writing this to show how i have worked for a cause.

 

I am a part hedonist. I like spending money on my rum, vodka and beer. I like spending it on a good game of baseball. I like going go karting too. I like spending it on people whom i like. I like spending on travelling, on food, whatever. I have needs too. I love pleasuring the senses. For that, i spend a pretty good amount of cash. What i am doing for myself is infinitely times greater than what i am doing for these kids.

 

The thing here to understand is that anyone who wants to join the cause can at least have some confidence on where his/her money is being spent. There has been tangible work going on in Nepal for the kids and there is a need for money to be channeled to the needy. I have been working with good people whom i can trust, so asking someone to join hands wouldn’t be much of a problem. My point is to assure anyone who is willing to help these kids.

 

Doing odd jobs here and doing odd jobs there i have been able to now collect a certain amount for the next small financial package. It won’t be long before another kid gets the required help that he/she so desperately needs. It wouldn’t be bad if i received some "external" help though.

 

Let’s put this into perspective.

A dollar? helps to feed a kid a warm meal

2 dollars? month's stationary needs

5 dollars? monthly school allowance

10 dollars? monthly fees

 

You can see the gravity of how these small donations can affect someone’s life. If you were to just cut down a small portion of what you pour on drinks, you will be able to help those unfortunate.

 

If you are up for it *coughs*, send an email to donate.nepal.prision.children@gmail.com and we will discuss about how we can make a delta difference to kids back home. No pressure.


Bonus read
Guest blogger L.Sauron's blog:  http://llordsauron.wordpress.com/
Courses in Seoul National University : http://dietechnische.blogspot.kr/
 

 

till next time.