A Diary of Dashain, by Sabina

2012 has been a landmark year for reintegrating children in Umbrella – with 156 children reintegrated to date! Read all about re-integration – what it is, why we do it and how we do it here

JalMaya food prep
Sabina preparing food with her friends in Umbrella
Sabina preparing food with her friends in Umbrella
JalMaya homework
Doing homework in Gauri Shankar
Doing homework in Gauri Shankar

Sabina and her brother, Iman, were sent to Kathmandu by their mother in 2005. After their father died, she could not afford to look after them and hoped they would have better opportunities in the capital. Sadly, they ended up in a corrupt home where they lived in squalor, without access to education, proper food or care. Fortunately, Umbrella and the Child Welfare Board intervened to close this home down, rescue all of the children and take them into Umbrella’s care.

Sabina and Iman have spent half their lives in Umbrella. While Umbrella is happy to have these wonderful children in its’ care, this time apart is detrimental to their relationship with their family. It has been a slow and difficult process to find out information on their background and to reconnect them with their family. Finally, this year we were able to safely send Sabina and Iman to spend Dashain with their relatives.

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Admittedly, they were a little awkward upon meeting their relatives for the first time in over 7 years but that soon passed. By the time Iman and Sabina returned to Kathmandu after the holidays, they had huge smiles on their faces and were thrilled at how close they had become to their family again! Sabina made this incredible diary of her experience:

Sabina’s words speak more powerfully about the need for reintegration than ours ever could. Please help us to continue supporting our reintegrated children and to help us to reintegrate others, just like Sabina, with their families.

Bring Them Home For Dashain

Every year in Umbrella, we do our best to bring the children home at Dashain so they can celebrate this important festival with family and relatives in their village. It is also a crucial time for them to spend time together, rebuilding broken bonds. We are hoping to send more children home than ever before this year but we need YOUR help!

Help us bring children back to their villages by donating here…

JalMaya Youth Chhautari Group