Subekshya Bika – Ganganagar School Class 1
Eight year old Subekshya lives with her grandmother and eight other siblings in a small two room house. Before she was born her father left the family to marry someone else, and when she was just three years old her mother also left the family, leaving Subekshya behind to live with her grandmother.
Raj and Shree Maya Thakuri – Ganganagar School Classes 4 and 8
Raj and Shree Maya live with their grandparents, when they were young their mother left to marry another man. Their father has no job and drinks heavily so does not support Raj, Shree Maya or their grandparents in any way. Their grandparents are elderly and unable to work so there is no income for the family.
Julakha Miya – Ganganagar School Class 5
Julakha is 13 years old. When she was young her father caught TB and was unable to work to earn money for the family. During this time his wife left him and he struggled to support Julakha, so she had to go and live with her uncle. After a while her uncle’s wife had a baby and there was not enough room in the house, so Julakha had to go back and live with her father. Due to the lasting effects of TB her father still finds it difficult to find work. He is very poor, owns no land and they have to live together in a very small house.
Richa Tamang – Ganganagar School Class 1
Richa, who is eight, originally came from the Lantang area of northern Nepal. When Richa was young her mother was killed in a road traffic accident. Her father suffers from mental health issues and drink related health problems, has no income and does not support Richa in any way. There were no other family members who were able or willing to take care of Richa, so she was brought to Chitwan to live in the Happy Home Children’s Home.
Lalita Gari – Ganganagar School Class 10
Lalita is 14 years old. When she was seven her father left the family home and married another woman. With her mother and older brother, Lalita lived in an orphanage home until it unfortunately had to close down due to Covid19. Forced to relocate, they moved to the Chitwan area and all three family members lived in one small rented room. Lalita’s mother couldn’t find work due to the Covid19 lockdown so they had no income and had great difficulty in paying rent or buying food. All three now live in the Happy Home in Chitwan.
Aanusha and Aausha Gari – Ganganagar School Reception Class
In 2020, Aausha and Aanusha’s father moved to India to find work, leaving their mother to care for the two girls and their baby brother. Due to Covid19 he couldn’t find any work so did not send any money back to support the family. After just a few months Anusha and Aanusha’s mother took their baby brother and left with another man, leaving the two girls with their aunt. Their aunt was also in a very difficult economic situation, with two children of her own and no job, so they were taken to live in the Happy Home in Chitwan.
Sita Shankar – Ganganagar School Class 6
Sita is 12 years old. When she was young her parents separated and her mother moved away, leaving Sita and her father living in a small house that they have to share with two other families. Due to a serious illness, Sita’s father is unable to work. They are landless, and have no form of income.
Bijaya Pariyar – Ganganagar School Class 3
Bijaya is nine years old and lives with his grandparents. When he was young his mother left the family, and shortly after his father left to work in India but has no contact and sends no money. Bijaya’s grandparents are landless and are too old to work so cannot earn an income. He has one young relative, his aunt, who is living in the house who earns a small income and is trying to support the whole family.
Samarpan and Roman Bhujel – Ganganagar School Classes 2 and 3
Samarpan and Roman come from a landless family with very little income. Their father suffered a serious accident which has left him disabled and unable to work, and their mother is a seasonal field worker who is only able to find employment for a few months of the year.
Sugam B K – Ganganagar School Class 4
Sugam’s father is in jail so offers no support to the family. Sugam’s mother is a seasonal labourer in agriculture, so for most of the year has no income. The family is landless so are unable to grow any crops for food or to sell.
Kanchan B K – Ganganagar School Class 2
Kanchan’s father migrated to the area from another part of Nepal and is landless. He is a seasonal agricultural worker, so for most of the year has no income. From what small income he does receive, he tries his best to provide some books for Kanchan’s studies.
Ritik and Ritika Ghimire – Ganganagar School Class 2 and Reception Class
Ritik and Ritika live with their grandparents. Their father died in an accident at work, and after one year their mother left to remarry. Their grandfather only earns a very small income to support the family, and as well as looking after Ritik and Ritika, has to also provide care for their grandmother.