The beauty of a woman starts in childhood, and flourishes with education and opportunity.
I’m honored to write this post for The Beauty of a Woman BlogFest VI. To read others’ contributions celebrating real beauty and perhaps win a handmade prize visit this link today through March 11th.
****
In Nepal, girls are in the back of the line when it comes to education. Often because girls are sent off in arranged marriages at a young age parents do not consider it financially sensible to send their daughters to school when they will leave the home during their teenage years. So they work at home until marriage. This creates a society of women who are unable to move forward and who do not see the opportunities education can give them.
The earthquake of 2015 brought the problem of child trafficking more to the forefront as a whole new group of orphans resulted from the devastation. These girls, too, have no opportunity for education.
The late Wongchu Sherpa, who was my father, had the vision of an educated society. He established a school in his home village at his own cost. The Wongchu Sherpa Trust has been established to provide education to these girls who otherwise would never have a chance to learn the basics. Taking the idea one step further his nephew, Ang Phula Sherpa, and myself have created the Wongchu Sherpa Trust Girls Hostel Project, with the help of coordinator Pem Dorjee.
The goals of the Girls Hostel are to increase the literacy rate of women by providing equal rights to the girls by creating a women-friendly environment, a prosperous and equitable society through social and political awareness and a modern educational system by providing computers, internet and library facilities.
- Age 5 to 7 years old
- Geographically disadvantaged, having no school near her home
- An orphan or child of unidentifiable parents. (Often no one will claim girls because they are not as valued in society.)
Selected students are provided with, lodging, food, clothes, school uniforms, stationary, tutoring and medical care. This is included with a free education at the Wongchu Biswadarshan School up to the fifth grade.
I believe the beauty of a woman starts as a child. The dream of Wongchu Sherpa is being realized by people who are making his dream of an educated, self-sustaining society a reality. By giving these girls a chance to realize their potentials, it will enable them to make genuine choices and give them power over the lives they choose to lead.
— Lakpa Sherpa
What beautiful and important work you all do, Lakpa! I’m so inspired by this post.
What an amazing mission! My mom has done sex trafficking work in Cambodia and so I know the love and dedication it takes. Thank you.
I love this. I firmly believe who we are as adults depends hugely on what we lived as children. Because of the efforts begun by your father, and carried forward by you and your uncle, girls who wouldn’t have a chance or a choice now have both.
That is beautiful!
I found this post even more interesting, because my son, who is fifteen, has a teen friend in Kathmandu. They met while gaming online, and had shared parts of their lives on several occasions before the earthquake. My son was very concerned for his friend, and we sent him two Google Play cards, to give him something to help him find comfort during this very difficult time.
I know my son will be very interested in learning the reality of Nepalese girls’ lives, as well, because he’s very interested in equality.
Thank you so much for sharing this – and for the concrete steps toward equality you’re making. May your work and life be blessed richly. <3
Thank you for founding and sharing the news of such an important project. I am so glad that there are people like your family who value education for women. It is so very important, in every society, to value people regardless of their gender, to give them a chance to become aware of their strengths and teach them how to become a productive human on this planet…education can help with that in so many ways. May your school flourish and last for generations!
This is such a fantastic and admirable project!
I’m very impressed and humble to read about your family and what they’re accomplishing by giving these girls not only a chance for a future, but as well self esteem, a home and beauty!
Thanks for sharing this!
What important work you are doing! Thank you for sharing it with us. 🙂
A few years back I read a young teacher’s book about Nepal and his experiences working with a local orphanage there. There was a stark beauty in the pictures and descriptions, but it always felt “nice”, like something was missing. This… a sense of equality. The children in the book I read were often girls, but the author almost always highlighted the activities of the boys… the boys were the ones worth talking about, even in the eyes of a young American teacher.
How, then, would one expect witness the dreams of young girls in Nepalese culture feel there is something better to look forward to, when even an American found them unworthy of comment….
Thank you for giving these girls voices, Lapka.
“I believe the beauty of a woman starts as a child.” Indeed, it does. And thanks to your work, so many women will now have choices. What a blossoming that will mean for Nepal. Thank you for this post.
Thank you for sharing this important information.
What incredibly important work this is! You are saving the spirits of these precious girls (and at times, their very lives no doubt) and giving them hope and opportunity. Bless you!
Thank you for doing this important work. For those of us (like me) on the other side of the world and seemingly on a different planet from the one you describe, it is a humbling reminder that sometimes the very basic things we take for granted as the birthright of all human beings are not available to everyone.
Thank you for doing such important and meaningful work, which will bless and encourage everyone. I wish you the best!
This is beautiful. What a wonderful vision your father had, and thank you for your important work in keeping it going! Education and support build girls self esteem which is so important to their happiness and success in life! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Wow! Such an important primary need that you and yours are fulfilling. I can only imagine the amazing lifetime impacts you must be making. Congratulations on not only recognizing a need, but also being the change you want to see in the world!
This is amazing! I love that your family is providing something that we Americans take for granted as a basic right. Thank you for giving this beautiful gift to these young women! I look forward to seeing how they flourish in life. 🙂
This is an Awesome post, and an amazing project. Your father sounds like an amazing man, and you a very brave and awesome woman for following in his footsteps!
Thank you, everyone, for reading and posting such thoughtful comments! Lakpa has read them and is so touched. 🙂 We are very proud of her and the work she and her team are doing. Hope you’ll all stop by again!
Hey guys! It’s that time of year again 🙂 Register now and pick your category (Original or GirlBoner) for The Beauty of a Woman BlogFest VII! http://www.augustmclaughlin.com/boaw2018-register/#comment-50897