Sponsoring a child through Plan: Meeting Sandhya in Nepal

Experiences shared by Plan's sponsor Tiphaine Texier from Norway who visited Sindhuli in this December to meet her sponsored child Sandhya and her families including the observations of programme activities run by community with support from Plan Nepal.  

                                      Tiphaine with school children and Plan staff in Sindhuli

"As a sponsor through Plan, I give each month a small amount of money to support Sandhya, a child living in Nepal, her family and her community. I got the opportunity to visit her in her village… And the encounter went ways beyond my expectations.

Departing from Kathmandu, the journey to reach her remote village is quite an adventure. Well, yes, the journey took twice as long as I expected due to some amusing events. But what an experience ! I will never forget the landscapes I have seen through the window of the local bus, neither the nice Nepali lady sitting just next to me and feeding me all the way.

I arrive in the evening in Sindhuli, the main city of the district, and is welcomed by

Shanta, the local Plan coordinator. She leads me to my hotel, and I take an early sleep, exhausted by the trip and so looking forward to the day to come…

The sun comes up again in the sky, announcing a beautiful and emotional day. Shanta pickes me up and we go to shop for some kitchen equipment as a gift to Sandhya’s family. For her and for the children of the community, I brought some colorful juggling balls.

First, we go to Plan’s office, located in Sindhuli. I meet some of Shanta’s colleagues and her big boss. I get briefed about the day to come : a lot to do, and probably quite a short while with Sandhya… Will it be enough ?

Then we drive to the main village, close to her place, and are welcomed by the local youth club, a place for young ladies to discuss and enjoy activities together. What a nice initiative !

Now it’s time to drive to Sandhya’s home ! She’s not going to school today, as I’m visiting

her. Her tiny village is located nearby the road. The houses are small, very modest and

made of clay. Here comes Sandhya’s house : a very tiny place, maybe 15 square meter, where she lives with her parents and her two brothers. She comes out and is very shy at first. I

offer her the juggling bowls and show to the mother the dishes I have bought for her,

totally forgetting that the Nepali custom is not to open a gift in public, in case the gift is

not appreciated ! 

But of course, as I remember that, it is too late… Nice beginning uh…

Very soon, the whole village is surrounding us (well, they are not that many, but still). Shanta is taking many pictures, her colleague who is following us as well. It feels a bit weird

connecting with Sandhya in such an un-intimate way. She seems very happy but also very bad at ease being the center of the attention (same for me !). To break a bit the situation’s

awkwardness, I propose to visit her place. Inside the tiny house, two wooden planks are playing the role of sitting places during daytime and beds at night. One of the corners

is dedicated to cooking, with a small fireplace set up on the ground. The garden is a little bigger, and the family is hoping. 

To get help from Plan to learn how to grow their own vegetables. The idea is to feed the

family, and eventually to sell some to the local market and provide some extra money to

the household. At the end of the garden, there is a pig. The family is used to buy one, to

feed it until it gets big enough, and to sell it again to make some profit. Sandhya tells me that she wants to become a doctor. I like to see so much ambitions in her eyes, but I’m also

conscious that this will be a very hard goal to reach. Being the only girl and the first born, Sandhya will most probably be married very young, so as to have her moving out to her

husband’s family, following the Nepalese traditions. Which means, for a modest family as hers, one mouth less to feed, one person less to host in a very tiny space. I hope that my

support, somehow, will prevent her from that, even if my action margin is quite small ! Being a sponsor is not giving you super powers, just the ability to develop a little bit the

community in which your sponsor child is living.

                                                 Sandhya with Tiphaine

Sandhya does not speak that much but is literally glued to me, which melts my heart. As the tight schedule of the day must be followed, it is decided that she will stay with him until the end. We drive a little while and stop next to a very nice vegetables garden. Here, a woman

shows us proudly her tomatoes, spinach, cauliflowers and potatoes. An agricultural

engineer from Plan helped her implementing this garden, which is feeding

her whole family and providing incomes by selling the vegetables to the local market.

The husband is at the market at the moment, and the woman takes care of the

plants. She seems so proud to be responsible for this piece of heaven !

Then we drive to the local school, where we first take a detour through the library. This

place has been established by an association a few years ago and Plan has been

supporting the purchase of books and posters to decorate the room. It is a modest

library, run by older students in partnership with younger ones. They seem very

proud of having this library, offering them a real opportunity to read and learn. It is one

of the rare ones in the area !

After this small detour and many pictures taken, we visit each class one by one. Children

are waiting for us, very calm and disciplined. First, the kinder garden : the kids sing and

dance a little, then start playing all around with some of the juggling balls I offered

them. Then three other classes, in which I take part in the dancing and singing, Sandhya

just by my side. What a fun time ! In the meanwhile, Shanta emphasizes the work of Plan

in the school : the building of a comfortable and warm floor, very important as the

students sit directly onto the ground and the purchase of posters showing birds,

vegetables, the English alphabet etc.

All the kids seem very excited to see a sponsor in their school. Suprisingly, each time

Shanta asks "who has a sponsor among you ? ", many hands are raised. I get to

understand how much we mean to these children and to the community : so much is

being done with our money ! So much more hope for their future ! It is already time to say good bye to Sandhya. The day went ways to quick, but at the same time, it has been so

strong ! Sandhya ask me to come back soon. I will. I have to ! We represent so

much for the young people here.

I drive back to Sindhuli, the main city of the district, the head full of questions, ready to

change my life in better. Because experiencing that kind of thing won’t leave you the

same : it helps putting perspectives into our spoiled lives.

So if I had any advice, it would be to become a sponsor to give a child better chances in life

and to improve his/her community. And if you already are one, then run to visit

him/her… They are waiting for us !"