Himalayan Children's Charities

Nepal is a country of paradox. High, high peaks and deep, crushing poverty. Every trip to Nepal is meaningful. I am blessed with friends and family and the privilege to be with them for holidays, graduations and annual celebrations.?This recent trip I was able to celebrate Holi, graduation and International Women’s Day. You hope, when you do this kind of work, that you can make a small change in a big world. And seeing these young women (two thirds of the HCC students are women), celebrating their accomplishments in this reciprocal way is powerful. It was a young girl that planted the seed for HCC in my mind, two dynamic and bright sisters that got the ball rolling, so the annual celebration of women feels like the culmination of these last 24 years. These women, from extremely challenging backgrounds, are dreaming the biggest dreams they can; setting goals and achieving them. All in a country where only 13% ever attend university at all. Where marginalized populations are mostly uneducated or under-educated and 33% of girls find themselves married before they turn 18.? Every year the Khushi Ghar family puts together a day of activities for Women’s Day. Students read poetry and share their experiences and art. Everyone participated and it was an astounding day. It’s incredibly moving to be a part of this new generation of educated, powerful Nepali women. They are succeeding in spite of huge personal obstacles and vast societal discrimination and systemic sexism. Not only are they succeeding, they are thriving. They are rejoicing in their womanhood. It was a beautiful day. It blows my mind to think how truly big this small difference is that we are making. Two more women graduated out of HCC this spring, with jobs in their fields (journalism and medical technology), and the life skills they need to succeed. They were 16 years old when they joined HCC and they are shining examples of the difference we can make in the life of a child.?

In many parts of the world, menstruation remains a topic steeped in silence and shame. ?? However, Saalt, a menstrual cup company, actively challenges these taboos and empowers women. ?? Read more by clicking on this link. ?? #menstruationmatters #femininehygiene #empoweringwomen: https://lnkd.in/gsNNg5bj

Sonu was orphaned as a toddler and started with HCC as a young child. This month she starts her BS in Medical Imaging.

Himalayan Children’s Charities Mentorship Program prepares our students for life after graduation by inspires self-awareness and gratitude by encouraging each student’s individual talents, skills, and passions. With seminars in topics such as trust, communication, philanthropy, the program helps to guide our students into a life of empowerment, dignity, self-esteem, and self-fulfilment. “In December we held our final session of the mentorship program of the year 2023. This special session marked a whole year of learning together and was focused on time management. Prem, Arun and Anukaran led the session and started by discussing the important of good time management in our work and personal lives. Anukaran then brought in a burst of energy with a fun game to engage everyone about the topic. Arun helped him with the activity called the Mayo Jar. We split into groups and the activity showed us how to prioritize important things in life, and the giving the most time to these priorities. After the activity, each group was given a big sheet of paper to write down what they learned from the activity. The main lesson was practical tips for managing our time wisely and not missing out on the important things in our lives. Everyone had something important to add and I think it showed how each person understood the importance of balance. After the session, we celebrated the completion of the one-year program with delicious food and casual conversations. It was a nice time to look back at how we have grown and to talk about our different experiences.”