Kids provide compassionate perspective — from two sides of the planet

When trekking from one Nepali village to the next, it’s not uncommon to be greeted by a group of children racing down the mountain path towards you. Many have come to expect treats or balloons from western visitors and ask for such with giant smiles and hearty “Namastes.” This simple act of greeting strangers wonderfully captures the curious spirit and desire for connection possessed by children the world over. And it is in that spirit that I wrote this blog post, recognizing that despite life as we normally live it being put on hold in the wake of the coronavirus, our need for connection and learning remains. 

We asked six exceptional young individuals for a glimpse into their lives in lockdown. Each of our participants has a connection to the Conscious Connections Foundation and our work in Nepal. Ayusha is a recipient of our educational scholarship in her hometown of Ghatbesi and is working diligently in preparation for her final exams. Lily, Maizy and Lila have all worked stateside to fundraise for the Power of 5, seeking to ensure access to education for girls their age. Darbin and Bishow have witnessed multiple Menstrual Hygiene Trainings conducted by their parents and are seeing first hand the effects in their region. These connections to CCF have nurtured a global perspective and a sense of awareness beyond their immediate surroundings and community.

Through sharing their daily routines they demonstrate several beautiful similarities that cross cultures. The common need for food and shelter, no matter how it looks or tastes! The family structure—be it sharing your home with grandparents or your bedroom with a sibling, family is present now more than ever. A need to play and a curiosity to learn. Their perspective also provides a unique look at the differences between cultures including access to running water, methods of cooking food, differences in toys and entertainment. However, the greatest similarity between these six individuals is the recognition that their sacrifices are for the safety of others. Their clarity in this belief is a beautiful perspective.   

We hope that this glimpse into homes and cultures feeds your curious spirit, providing a sense of connection and broader outlook. The challenges presented by the coronavirus reach around the globe, far beyond our neighborhoods, states, and country. We hope that the resilience of these inspiring children, each sacrificing for the safety of others, reminds us that we are in this together. We are not alone in our struggles to adapt to life in lockdown, but rather united in an act of love for our global community. Recognizing our connection is important now more than ever.

Ayusha - Kathmandu, Nepal

Ayusha is living in Kathmandu while she studies for her national exams. Originally from the village of Ghatbesi, her mom is an english teacher at the high school that numerous CCF scholarship recipients attend. Ayusha is 16 years old and in the 12th grade. A dedicated student, she is busy studying while trying to balance living at home with her parents, grandparents, and younger sister.

Ayusha writes: “Thanks for making me a part of your group you know recently due to the epidemic corona we are recently in lockdown state. Life is really difficult to stay at home, so we are being restless in our house.”  

Captions written by Ayusha

Study & Breakfast

Nowadays I get up at five o’clock to  prepare for my exam. At about 6:30 I have my breakfast with my mom, grandma, and dad. My little sister gets up a bit later. We usually have tea and popcorn as breakfast. Sometimes we also take cookies.

Sisters & Mess

After breakfast I help my mother with cleaning rooms. As my sister gets up she makes all mess. Because she is not allowed to go out sometimes she gets frustrated and throws everything around. Then I deal with it. At the time she also gets up and has her breakfast.

Lunch

In the morning my mother is busy in the kitchen. At about ten o’clock we have our lunch. We usually have dal (traditional lentil dish of Nepal), bhat (rice), curry pickle, milk, curd (thick yogurt) as our lunch. Bhatbatini and dal is our major food.

Vegetables, too

We usually have green vegetables like cabbage cauliflower, radish, pea, pumpkin. As we can’t go out due to lockdown we also have dry vegetable like masaura chhana, and gundruk. We also sometime have sprouted beans, soyabeans .

Chapati

We sometimes eat chapati (flatbread)-especially my mother has it while fasting. I have my lunch with my family. My little sister eats a bit later.

Chores & More Study

I study for an hour after my lunch. While my mother is busy herself cleaning dishes and clothes.

Passing the Time

Time is really difficult to pass as I can’t go out with my friend . My grandpa and grandma are busy  watching TV and listening to the news. About the dreadful corona- COVID-19 , we are really scared about it . I also watch TV for about an hour, while my little sister busies herself in the internet. She gets really irritated as she can’t get out .

Lily & Maizy - Montana, USA

Lily is 14 years old and in the 9th grade. Her sister Maizy is 12 years old and in the 7th grade. They live in Missoula, Montana with their parents. The Conscious Connections Foundation first met Lily when she began raising donations for the Power of 5 via Lily’s Lovebirds in 2014. After reading “I am Malala,” then nine-year-old Lily wanted to help girls her age go to school so she started sewing lovebirds and raising money. For years Lily and Maizy sewed lovebirds that circled the globe and donated proceeds to girls’ education in Nepal. Six years later, Lily and Maizy are just as active in their community, using their sewing skills to help people during the coronavirus.  

Captions written by Lily.

Fist Day of Spring

Hello from Lily & Maizy in Missoula, Montana!

Painting My Bedroom

This is our week of Spring Break from school so mom is letting us have more free time to paint our rooms and craft and play with our bunny  and dogs but next week we will start online classes.

Breakfast Treat

Our Grandmother is from Dublin so we really celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by going to parades and celebrating with friends. This year we were home with social distancing so Mom got us lucky charms cereal to celebrate (which she usually would never buy, too sugary).

Board Games

Montana has long winters and we like to go to old forest service cabins so we have and play lots of board games which is good to pass time. Rumicube is one of our favorites.

Baking

Maizy made gluten free brownies and cookies today!

Family Hikes

One routine we do is that later each day we go on an outing to get fresh air and activity like biking or hiking. We live in a smaller town in the Rocky Mountains near rivers and mountains and lots of trails.

Sewing Masks

We are sewing fabric masks (using material from lovebird making) they are free but people want to pay so we are directing people who want to make a donation for masks to CCF Power of 5.

What has been the hardest part of lockdown? Not seeing my friends is the hardest part of lockdown. At first it doesn’t seem as hard but then it starts to get longer it gets much harder to be away from my friends.

Any unexpected perks to lockdown? I actually get to go on more hikes and and adventures than when I’m in school all day which is nice. I have a favorite hike by the river I go to that has caves to explore. I also have more creative time and time to sew masks.

Why is it important to stay home? So we can protect our community from getting the Corona Virus, it might not be me that gets it really bad but maybe my neighbor would, so we have to think about that and protect them.

Lila - Washington, USA

Lila is 8 years old and lives in Spokane, Washington with her two brothers and parents. Lila has grown up learning about Nepal from her family, CCF co-founders Denise Attwood, Ric Conner and Cameron Conner! To date, Lila has participated in two Run for Her Life campaigns, completing the event’s 7 kilometers to support girls’ education in Nepal. 

Captions written by Lila.

Morning Reading

Me reading a book in my bed. The name of the book is “I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies 1967”. I share my room with my siblings.

Reading

Reading is my favorite thing to do in my free time. These are five of my favorite books.

Breakfast

Eating cereal with my crying baby brother.

New Dog

My dogs name is Marcus he is 4.5 months old. We got him in March and our responsibilities for caring for him are feeding him twice a day and taking him outside whenever he sits by the door.

Family Game Time

 Me and my family playing a game in the family room.

Video Games

I’m playing video games with my brother and my other brother and we are terrible at playing video games.

Roller Blading

Me and my brother are roller blading in the front yard.

Dinner

Dinner of Mac and Cheese with goldfish.

What has been the hardest part of lockdown? The hardest part of the lockdown is not being able to see my friends.

Any unexpected perks to lockdown? My favorite part of the lockdown is having a new puppy.

Why is it important to stay home? I think it is important for everyone to stay inside because so people don’t get infected.

Darbin & Bishow - Sertung, Nepal

Darbin, 8 years old, and his 3.5 year old sister, Bishow, live in the remote Himalayan village of Sertung. Two day’s walk from the nearest road, Sertung’s daily life looks quite different from that of more urban locations like Kathmandu. There are roughly 450 homes in Sertung, each housing a family of various sizes and generations. Darbin and Bishow share their home with their parents who first met CCF board members after the 2015 earthquake. Their father, Yogendra, helps women in the village work with CCF partner Ganesh Himal Trading to earn fair and consistent income. Their mother Pema has conducted multiple menstrual hygiene trainings in the Sertung region on behalf of CCF. 

Captions written by CCF based on translations from the children’s father, Yogendra.

Greetings from Sertung

“Now we are at my village, Sertung. We all are well here. We wish you are stay safe and well there!”

Dabin & Bishow

Dabin and Bishow live in a home with their parents.

Collecting Water

Each day Darbin’s family must collect water from a nearby community faucet.

Hand Washing

Thorough hand washing can be challenging without running water in the home so Darbin’s father utilized the “Tippy Tappy” method to create a hand washing station for their family. Stepping on the stick pulls a string tipping the top of the water jug downward, creating a stream of water and with it, a hands-free wash station.

Preparing for Monsoon

With monsoon season less than two months away, villagers are busy collecting fire wood to be used for cooking. They are also gathering food to get them through monsoon.

Helping

With school canceled due to the coronavirus, Darbin joins his father to gather firewood. Dokos— large baskets woven from bamboo—are the traditional method used in Nepal for carrying goods.

Play

Despite helping his parents, there is always time for play!

Volleyball

Volleyball is a common community game in Nepali villages including Sertung, but is often reserved for the older boys.

Morning & Evening Meals

Boiled potatoes and boiled flour balls are common meals in Sertung. Most families have a large meal in the morning and evening, with a snack and tea in the afternoon.

Cooking

Cooking takes place over a wood fire in the home.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a common treat to be enjoyed at meals or as an afternoon snack.

Why is it important to stay home? Bishow tells her father, “Important for everyone to stay home because we protect others from virus.”

Nepal is entering its fifth week of lockdown. Travel is restricted without permission. Businesses have closed and school is suspended until further notice. For the numerous day laborers who depend on daily earnings to survive, being barred from work has meant a complete stop in income and with it the ability to purchase basic necessities like food. We are hearing reports from Sertung that medicine is running low and food is becoming scarce due to restrictions of travel between villages. CCF is in constant communication with our Nepali partners and will be granting economic assistance in the days and weeks to come. Check back here for updates on the situation in Nepal and our efforts to assist communities in need.