The boys and girls of the NGO in Nepal return home after 5 years away from their families

Lhadon, Lhamo, Mingdi and Sonam before going back to their village in Dolpo, Nepal.

Can you imagine what it must be like not seeing your family in 5 years? Have a single contact with your parents, in December, through a letter? Oddly enough, we are talking about the 21st century. It's about Komang, one of the most remote Tibetan villages in the world, located in the heart of the Nepalese Himalayas. As there is no institute in the town, boys, girls and young people must travel to Kathmandu to continue studying... away from their loved ones. Fortunately, the NGO we collaborate with welcomes them as "one big family", and they also have the help of volunteers from various corners of the world.

Above, Lhadon, Lhamo, Mingdi and Sonam in 2013 and below in 2018.

The return

In November 2013, Lhadon, Lhamo, Mingdi and Sonam came down from Alto Dolpo to Kathmandu for the first time to start secondary school. And until April 2018 they have not been able to return to their town: it is impossible to get there on the short vacation they have after the exams. In the last 3 years, the only contact they have been able to have with their relatives has been through the letters that arrived in December thanks to Rinpoche when he went down to spend the winter in Kathmandu. The antenna to capture the mobile signal broke years ago and the Nepalese government has not repaired it. The reunion has been very emotional.

We give voice to two of the young Nepalis so that they can tell us how this emotional trip back has been.

Tsering Lhadon on the long journey back to his village.

Tsering Lhadon: "I thank the NGO for all its support in my studies"

“My trip to my homeland has been the most exciting as I am finally visiting my family after 5 years. When I got to Komang I found my mother a little older, she has even lost her teeth! My sister is more mature and has had a baby. Oh, and my brother got married and has 2 kids. Before I went down to Kathmandu I was the youngest in my family, and now I feel like I am an adult and my family has grown a lot.

After a few days off, I started going to Komang Primary School as a volunteer teacher. Everyone in the village, my primary school teachers and some children I knew were very happy!

My friends cried a lot for having given up studying at the time. This makes me appreciate the opportunity to study and I thank the NGO all your support in my studies. Thanks to your efforts, now I have much more courage to do something beneficial for my people. I have returned to Kathmandu to further my studies, but I will be back!”

Pema Mingdi collaborating at the school where she studied.

Pema Mingdi: "I am lucky to have this great opportunity to study"

“My trip to town has been very exciting for me. During this experience I have met many people and gained a lot of knowledge about the meaning of life and education. When I got to the village my parents were waiting for me outside and I found both my father and my mother a little older. I saw her smile full of love and happiness when looking at her face. I spent 8-9 days at home resting, helping the family in the fields, washing clothes, collecting wood and every day I went to fetch water for cooking, which is about a 15-minute walk from my house.

My parents were very happy that I was back home and could help them in the fields and other tasks. I realized how hard the life of the townspeople is and I thought I was very lucky to have this great opportunity to study.

You can change lives like Lhadon, Lhamo, Mingdi and Sonam

In Tumaini, we collaborate with the NGO which makes it possible for Lhadon, Lhamo, Mingdi and Sonam to study. This is an organization that offers accommodation and educational support to young people from Alto Dolpo who have to leave their village to study in the capital. Volunteers collaborate in the project helping the kids with their studies and doing recreational activities whenever their studies allow them. You dare?