"She did not know about the solar system. And there was this interactive thing online which I showed her and she was blown away. It made me think. And soon it made me realise that the things that I take for granted do not come easy for all. I realised my privilege. My family has given me enough exposure to the world. We travel to 4 destinations every year. They respect everything I do. They let me be. They have sent me to the best schools and made sure that I have access to everything for my future. But the stories she has told of her village and her life are very different from mine. Some are heartbreaking while some are quite fun and different. And because I enjoy this privilege, I want to do something about it. And I know that starts with someone that is close to me. And she is. I understand her need to work for us. I understand our privilege of needing her to work for us. Recently, I have started teaching her English. And in doing that, I am also trying to teach her other things through English. There is so much knowledge online that one can use to learn but not everyone has the resources to access it. So by teaching her English I can introduce her some tools that can help her find out the information she needs to be self reliant. I feel like I can share what I have learned and open a gateway for her to the world she is not aware of. I am also teaching her English so that we can spend time together. I do not want her to feel alone in the house. All her family is in Sildhupalchowk and I am sure she misses them. I am privileged to have my family around me. At least, I can be her friend. We all need a friend.
(Suyasha Shakya, Lalitpur)
#TheFutureIWant
SON X UN