Sunita

Name: Sunita BK

Age: 7 years old

Favorite subject: Nepali

Hobbies: Football and dancing

When she is older she wants to be a: Teacher

She lives with: Her mother, two older brothers, and two younger sisters

Sunita!

What you just read is Sunita in her own words. Like Kabita and Ramita, who I wrote about in my last blog, Sunita is a Kindergarten girl I got to meet on a walk home. This time, my walk wasn't planned, and I actually saw Sunita and her friend (and Nursery Student) Dourga on their walk home from school. Rather than just waving as I ran by they decided to come along for the run, and rather than continue running I decided to slow down to a walk and accompany these two precious little girls on their way home. They're both extremely young, so their English isn't quite top notch, but they're quickly improving and were delightful to spend time with. I've found that my one on one time with the kids tends to be the most fulfilling, which was certainly the case with Sunita, and just like Kabita and Ramita she became an instant Nepali Crush of mine after our walk. What made my walk with Sunita so unique was the conclusion. I thought I had seen the worst of things when I walked home with Kabita, however, in comparison to Sunita, she was living in a pleasant home. In addition to getting to know kids, I think my walks are so beneficial because you have the opportunity to see where the kids come from. I learn so much with every walk, and am continually astounded by what these children overcome to get to school. While walking home with Sunita, she motioned towards a house in the distance...I was actually surprised, as it looked very nice, and I exclaimed to her “Wow, Sunita your house is so beautiful”. To which she responded “Ni John Sir! Ni Ni, Sano house” ( No No John, Small House). After a few more steps, I saw what appeared to be a pile of sticks in the distance. Not until I got closer did I realize, that this was Sunita's home, which she shares with her aforementioned mother, brothers, and sisters. At no point in this trip, was I as taken aback as I was in that moment. This beautiful 5 year old girl, was living in a stick hut with 5 people, and walking an hour each way to school. For those of you who don't know, Nepal has a ferocious monsoon season, with rains so hard there is no way this house could stop them. After dropping Sunita off, all of this began to register. The initial joy of spending time with such a happy, adorable, bright little girl wore off, and the reality of the situation sunk in...

Sunita's Home - Mother & 2 Brothers

After my initial walk...I decided to show Safira & Nena Sunita's home on one of our runs!

For me, this trip to Nepal has been a fulfilling and eye opening experience...and experience which will soon end, and give way to a life of first world comforts back in the States. For Sunita, and other girls like her, this is life. This is the life they will grow up into if they are not helped along the way. This is why I chose to sponsor Sunita (along with one other girl, Bimala, who I will write about soon). For a mere $25 a month, I have the ability to provide the necessary funding for Sunita's education at Kopila Valley School. Not only does this provide for her education, it provides a daily meal, a loving support network, and most importantly the opportunity to escape the life of poverty she was born into. Despite my $0 a month salary I have made the choice to sponsor these girls, and I encourage anyone who is reading this to contact me with respects to sponsoring their own child. Not only will you have the satisfaction of helping one of these amazing children escape a viscous cycle of poverty, you will also receive updates, pictures, and stories from the children as they grow.

We are currently in the process of compiling a list of children in need of sponsorships. In addition to Kopila Valley Followers, Maggie has partnered with She's the First in order to match sponsors with children. She's the first was set up to link sponsors with girls who are the first in their family to receive an education...hence “She's the First”. Sunita is actually one of those girls, and I'm delighted to assist in her education, for this year and hopefully many years to come. While I'm not sure who exactly reads this blog every week, I urge anyone who feels inclined to contact me at John.Joseph.Christopher@gmail.com to find out more information about sponsoring a child.

Me and one of my many Nepali Crushes!

As always, hope all is well at home! Miss everyone.