Child sponsorship - Alberto's story

Since 1988 ASIA has worked for the preservation of Tibetan culture, also through education projects and child sponsorship: educating Tibetan children not only makes it possible to preserve and pass on the ancient traditions of this people, but gives Tibetan children the chance to improve their economic and social condition and to compete better on the job market, both in Tibet and in Nepal.

Two supporters went to meet the child they sponsor, who lives in Nepal, at the Manasarovar school, and wanted to share the emotions they felt.

“For some time we had been planning a short holiday in Nepal almost exclusively to meet little Tsering, whom we support at the Manasarovar school in Kathmandu.

On arrival at the school Mrs Tsultrim was waiting for us on the steps, we go into the office; after the introductions a tiny little girl appears, perhaps frightened, with big lively eyes, here to meet two foreign “strangers” who will allow her to get an education.

Just a couple of icy minutes, then, as we hand over the gifts we had for her, everything becomes incredibly easy, smiles and little conversations in English. Sonam invites us to follow her into her classroom, the children are waiting for us there and all together they sing a few little songs in Tibetan… Every wall has come down, we have become “friends” !

We visit a few classes of the Institute, with the older ones we have interesting conversations: we talk about different ways of life, religion, cooking, the students are all very eager to learn new things; so it gets to 12.30, lunchtime, we leave the class, we are invited to stay and share the meal, we accept the invitation.

Sonam, sitting at the table with us, is amused, she has a lion’s appetite and finishes in a flash and today, for the occasion, she has been able to drink some orange juice. Then at a certain point during lunch she whispers to me: you must come tomorrow too!

The food is excellent, plentiful, tasty, simply cooked, such quality surprises me. We stay until late afternoon playing with her, then inevitably the moment of goodbyes arrives, both my wife and I feel in the embrace the strong grip of the girl who whispers to us softly, come back as soon as you can; all together we head towards the exit gate, one last greeting in addition to the due thanks to Mrs. Tsultrim for the great work she is doing, with a promise to return in a couple of years.”

Hang and Alberto