Anita's views on the dangers of drugs in Nepal

Anita Budhatoki is one of our class 10 students this year. I asked her to write about a topic which she felt passionate about. Below she shares her views on the problems of drugs with youth today.

People of our society are of different kinds and their attitudes are also different. Some people are greedy, some are nervous, some are in tension and some are even involved in drugs. I think drugs are not good in everything. Drugs are substances which make our body weak and even it can harm our nervous system. Drugs are also illegal in our country. People take drugs in different ways. Some take drugs to relax themselves and to be free from tension. Drugs are also one kind of medicine which fight against diseases.

This problem can be seen in the whole world, not just in Nepal. Mostly we can see that the youth of today are taking drugs. Drugs like: smoking, tobacco, injection, cocaine, heroin etc are some of the examples of harmful drugs. Youth of today are taking drugs as fashion also. We can see the youth of today are involved in drugs so they are more involved in social crime. People get involved into drugs due to peer influence. Drug abuse has been one of the social problems in our country. Many people take drugs due to following reasons:                                                                                                               

1.    Tension and stress

2.    Poverty

3.    Lack of care of parents and teachers etc

4.    To imitate others

People can suffer a lot after taking drugs. They may have the health problems and have to waste a lot of money. The families of people who take drugs often lose their prestige in society. If the youth of today are involved in drugs then who are the nation developers? If youth of today are involved in such crimes then we cannot imagine our country with peace. The world is not afraid of violence of bad people but afraid of the people who don’t speak against violence of bad people. So to control drug abuse we should stop them from taking drugs. Following things can be done to control drug abuse in our society as well as in the country:

1) Giving proper counselling to youth about the dangers of drugs.                                       

2) Establishing rehabilitation centres.

3) Involving youth in creative works, sports, volunteers etc. 

4)Avoiding company of bad friends.

5)    Conducting awareness programs related to drugs for all youth.

If today’s youth are good then coming youth will be better. So, not only students but parents should also look and care after their children. Not only in home but in everywhere they support and encourage their children in good things. Students and youth of today should not copy the bad attitudes of their friends but instead they should copy good behaviour and should have feeling of national pride. So in my view we should say no to drugs and say yes to a happy and healthy life.                                       

Paying it Forward – Our SLC graduates spend time with children at Kathmandu Model Hospital

Princess slippers for a princess

Gratitude and generosity are very important values which we strive to instil in the children we work with in Nepal. In celebration of finishing their SLC exams, we encouraged our SLC graduates to find a hospital where there were children in need of a smile and to spend some time with them, making them laugh and feel special.



A quilt full of love for a fast recovery

Sarika took the lead in organising the visit. She contacted Dr Shanker Rai from Kathmandu Model Hospital who does wonderful work with his team in operating on children with the need for cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries. With the help of the manager of the hospital, Dr.Hemantadhwaj Joshi, the date was set for their visit.

Thanks to Sarika, Sarita and Sabitri for their energy and passion in doing this. I hope we can continue to work with Dr Rai’s team to bring smiles to the faces of children around the time of their surgeries to remind them that people care about them. And thanks to St Catherine's for the handmade quilts which the girls gave to the children and to Seow Yuin of the COMO Foundation for the hand


Bubbles can fix almost anything!

In Sarika and Sarita’s words:

What was the purpose of your visit?

Sarika: “To bring smiles on the face of children and celebration of finishing the SLC exams.”

What happened on your visit?

Sarita: “In hospital we distributed clothes, toys and some books and puzzles to children who had just had surgery. After distributing, we also played with the kids. They were happy to wear new clothes as well as to get toys and to blow bubbles!

Sarika gives a doll

How did you feel on your visit?

Sarika: “It made us feel happy. This is our first time we distribute clothes to the kids. It encouraged us to do social service to the kids. And we are happy to get such opportunity to distribute the clothes to those kids in hospital. And we feel happy to have finished our SLC.”



Handpainted t-shirt for a princess in waiting

Freedom - Finishing the dreaded SLC!

A few weeks ago, Sabitri, Sarita and Sarika finished their SLC exams. The SLC is known as the "Iron Gate" - the final frontier of school. So much pressure is put on the students by their schools, their teachers, their families, society.

As they wait for their results, we asked the girls to write about how it felt to finish their exams and be free of class 10 and the dreaded SLC.

Sarita wrote:

I was really excited to finish my SLC exam because I was really being bored going to study class every time. After waking up from morning coaching class to night study we had to see the face of same person. I always made silly mistakes unknowingly though I didn't want. So I was tired of getting scoldings from sir each and every time. I wanted to be free from everything so I was feeling very happy thinking that I have no more days to get scoldings from sir. After waiting for 2 to 3 weeks SLC arrived knocking on our doors. From 6^th of Chaitra our SLC started and it finished on 15^th Chaitra.

I felt happy very much because thinking that now I didn't have to worry about my study. SLC has finished but there will be lots of challenges that I have to go through in college. So I am scared a bit and also I am scared thinking about my result. I am also worried about my future what if I won't be able to do things that I have to do confidently. I have to do lots of hard work to achieve my goals successfully. So I am planning to do all kind of work properly and confidently. I am thankful to Bec because she gave me opportunity to teach Alisha and Rebina. While teaching them I could also learn many things from them. So now I am happy and waiting for my result to be published and also I am trying to build up more confidence on me to face the challenges that I will be getting through in college. This is all how I feel and if I won't be able also there are lots of friends and Bec to encourage me so am grateful to them all. 

Sabitri wrote:

SLC SLC and SLC my head was filled of this three letters. All plans were held on pending due to SLC. I was so hurry to finish it fast and carry out plans that we had made to do after SLC. In the time I was so excited to complete school. I wanted to feel how life goes on after finishing SLC.

 

So I did it. Yeah I did it. I felt so proud to pass the Iron Gate. I felt so free. I thought not to miss school anymore. I thought to complete my remained works. I made lots of plans to do in these holidays. But contrary to this, things went in such a speed that I start missing school days before I complete my plans.

 

I think this happens to all the SLC appeared students. Three months holiday was what we waiting for so long. It is the best time to make up our self, giving time to our interest.  Considering this fact I joined computer class and foot ball coaching. Having SLC finished has not only filled excitements on me but also made me to take responsibility. I am feeling little matured to take responsibility and I think it’s kind of good to have such feeling.

 

It is the best time to take decision and plan for future. We have to join college and choose subject as per our goal. I’ve planned to join law in order to be a lawyer.

Sarika wrote:

I am very glad to have finished my SLC because now I don't have to go to again that school. And I am bored of waking up early in the morning and studying up to 11 o’clock. Now I don't have to wake up early in the morning and studying up to 11 o’clock. Now I feel I am free from all things when I finished my school. Now I can wake up late in the morning whenever I want. I am very happy to have finished my SLC.

When I finished my SLC I thought for my future plan. What can I do for my future to make bright. I take decision from many people but at last I thought I should study management for my future. Because it can help me to make my future nice forever. So, I thought I should focus in management for my future because I want to help my family business. So, I will study management nicely for my future.

 

 

Women - Poem of Hope and Thoughts of Gods

For International Women's Day on March 8th, we asked the girls why they love being a woman and we asked the boys why they love women. Puja wrote a beautiful poem inspiring women to have hope and Simon shared his thoughts on women as gods.

Enjoy.

POEM OF HOPE FOR WOMEN

 

I am not feeling guilty

To be a woman

Whoever feels guilty

That is very filthy

Never less, neither less

Maximum women always

Watch their weakness

That is shameless

This is their foolishness

That's why they never fly

Even they have wings to

Touch the sky so high

Because of their own thought

About themselves

This is so filthiness

This is so sadness

Nature is crying

That is why I am saying

Raise your voice!!

They will shut your mouth

Again raise your thought

They will salute you but

After converting you're thought into action

That is all about you, even a fraction

Of your thought change into action

Will change many things in the world

Weakness is strengthness

See yourself into that level of deepness

Then you will find sense, knowledge

Had more along with that thought, sense, hope

You will never be dominated

Because dominating people are dominating themselves

This world is full of negative people

so be full of hope, be a woman!!

 

Puja Chaulagain

International Women’s Day 2014

 

I LOVE WOMEN

 

I love women because women are those people who are like a god. They are very different from men but their minds are much more active than men's.  They are helpful as well as frank with everyone. They will always be in my eyes as god. One parent does not give the right to eat properly, right to education, as well as the right to shelter. Women always fulfilled these needs for their children. Some people made the women work instead of educating them. If such thing goes on how can wives or a daughter live a happy life? This is such a bad thing. We must respect them as a god.

 

Simon Raut

Class 7

 

Do natural disasters have a greater impact on the poor?

This was a question in one of the girl's A level exams. I set the challenge to one of our class 10 students, Sabitri Pathak, to explore her thoughts on this important question. Often schools teach the students these issues in separate topics - "What are natural disasters?" and "What problems and challenges face the poor?" Putting them together and exploring the impact, especially as a comparison, was a great critical thinking challenge! Thanks for accepting my challenge, Sabitri!

THE POOR SUFFER NATURE’S FURY THE MOST

Sabitri Pathak

An unpredictable incident that interrupts the whole ecosystem of a certain territory especially natural scenes and human settlement is called nature's fury or natural calamities. Floods, landslides, earthquakes are major examples of natural calamities. The poor and less facilitated people who don't have adequate goods to fulfil their basic needs such as food, clothes, shelter, health, etc are the major victims of such furies.

The poor often lack required food, jobs, housing, education, health and other major aspects of quality of life. They don't have jobs and rely on limited agriculture which even can't provide them with necessary food. Due to lack of funds, they can't save money and are often compelled to live difficult lives. They suffer from malnutrition and other epidemics due to unhealthy settlements and food habits.

Yes, I agree with above mentioned statement. Wealthier people can recover more easily as they have money, insurance and communications through which they can get support. But the same things are not available for the poor. Because of this they suffer most. If a flood occurs, it may destroy all settlements and vegetation. The poor lose their small piece of land from where they have been earning money. They also can't get foods and clean drinking water. They suffer from diseases like malaria, dysentery but can't get health facilities. They are even deprived of support as they doesn't have link with organisations.

Similarly, if there is an earthquake or drought, the poor have to face more challenges than the wealthy. Earthquakes may damage their houses but they can't reconstruct it. They become homeless. They can't grow crops and earn little money for their livelihood if a drought occurs. It affects their economic status which in turn gives negative impact on other various aspects of living.

The problems associated with disasters arise one after another for the poor, if nature's fury occurs. If the so called poor are given access to employment from where they can earn they don't have to face the burden of calamities effects. Micro-credit programmes and human investment should be launched to minimise poverty to reduce tension of disasters as we can't control the happenings of natural disasters.

Did the recent election really change Nepal?

There was so much hope around the CA election in Nepal last November . . . and yet still we wait!

Here are some thoughts from one of our class 10 students, Sabitri.

Nepalese people have long suffered from broken promises and the mistakes of the political leaders and their parties. The country had hoped for a new constitution after the successful first Constituent Assembly Election held on Chaitra 28, 2064. However, so far this hasn't happened even though it has been over five years. So, the Second Constituent Assembly Election was crucial for the future of Nepal and its people.

Despite the instability and disorder, the second CA election was successfully held in November 2013. Surprisingly, the result favoured the Nepali Congress over other parties. The next step was for the government to be formed, consisting of 601 members – 245 directly elected members, 335 proportionate members and 26 nominated by cabinet. Nearly 2 months have passed but still the government remains unformed. Instead, the parties are fighting a cold war between their own members over the powerful seats in the parliament. As a result, Nepali Congress has not been able to obtain a majority leaving the future still uncertain.

The caretaker government under Chief Justice Khila Raj Regmi, which was supposed to be dissolved after the election, is still actively doing the government’s job.  People participated in the election with an expectation of a better country through a better government. But now people don't even know what is going on within the parties. All this fighting obviously will delay the constitution making process even further.

I am not optimistic about the government's ability to deliver. The present scenario compels me to feel so. I think spending millions of rupees from the State Treasury for the election caused a huge loss for the country with no clear benefit. We can only wait and see.

Sabitri Pathak,

Class 10