The story tells the truth
Nepti Lamhu Sherpa was born in1986 in Dagana district, one of the most remote districts in Bhutan. Her father died in Bhutan when she was just four. A year after the death of her father, she had to leave Bhutan with her mother and grandma.
When she reached Maidhar in 1992, where Bhutanese refugees were given shelter in early 90s, she was very sad when she witnessed sick, thin, diseased Bhutanese nationals who arrived there earlier. “We came from a cold place in Bhutan. I felt terrible heat as we stayed in a bamboo hut built in sea-shore of Mai River”, she lamented.
When her family was sifted to Beldangi camp she was quite happy. Beldangi camp is moderately colder than Maidhar. She started her schooling from Pancha-oti English School, a school managed for refugee students. She was happy to have her books and copies donated by UNHCR.
Nepti was trapped into another tragedy when her mother eloped with a stranger. Her mother stays some where in India and she has no ideas of exact location “I saw her 6 years ago when she visited me”, told she. Now Nepti stays with her grandma. Her grandma, Thang Singh Sherpa is 83 years old. She has low vision and audibility.
Nepti has to do everything for herself and dearest grandma. “It is not an easy task to run a family. I have no one to assist my survival”, she said with her eyes full of tears.
She hardly manages time to her studies. However, she is a committed girl. She was forced to repeat her classes in grades seven and eight. When asked about the reason of her failure, she said nothing but trickled tears down her cheeks. “I am my own father or mother.” Certainly that was her reality or reason of having repeated her classes.
Nepti reads in grade nine in Pancha-oti English School. She goes to school at 8:15am and gets back to her hut at 3:00pm. She weaves cap or works in cottage industry of wool run around the camps during her holidays to earn her livelihood. She even sells ration to buy clothes for grandma and her school uniform.
One of her teachers, Ram Dahal commented that she is very laborious and hardworking in her class. She often goes lost when she makes a recall of her lovely and caring parents. She is worried about her future. “I have no one to support for my studies after I pass grade ten” she told. She has very much missed her parental care. She wishes that her mother soon pays a visit to her.