CAN YOU IMAGINE CHRISTMAS
without family, food or gifts?
That is the pending reality for many families in Nepal as they approach the sacred festival of ‘Dashain’, a festival that celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over evil forces, similar to the festival of St Michael defeating the dragon. Interesting that the two festivals more or less coincide!
It is a time for the annual family pilgrimages back to their towns, villages and parental homes. An annual ritual, uniting families and loved ones, the sharing of celebratory food and gifts, that of course can be likened to Hanukkah and Christmas.
This year, the ‘Dashain’ festivities run from 26 Sep, through until 9 Oct (similar to the 12 days of Christmas) with 5 Oct being the major celebratory day.
I personally know of three families that face the prospect of ‘Dashain’ without the wherewithal to celebrate, through no fault of their own. I would not hesitate to dig into my savings to give them financial gifts, thus relieving them of the stress of telling their children that there would not be any material celebrations this year, but due to the demands of other urgent priority needs over the past 3 months, needs that put a huge strain on my finances, I no longer have the available funds to happily redistribute!
However, I will still contribute £135 savings from my monthly OAPension, an amount that I happily send as support to ‘family #1’ on a regular monthly basis, covering their basic needs, eg: rent, utilities and food for that month, supplemented by the mother’s meagre earnings. But I am unable to afford anything extra for ‘Dashain’!
(1) A street hawker/beggar mother and her 2 sons, aged 7 and 9. Husband is no longer active in their lives.
(2) A mobility challenged mother, her infant son and a dependent lass, aged 13. The husband is abroad.
(3) A young, single woman (age 20) and 2 dependent pre-teen girls, for whom she cares. In addition, the young woman is recovering from a recent medical emergency.
I am reluctant to share photos of those in need, as it could easily compromise their privacy, as their friends may have FB accounts.
Suffice it to say: “I need help!”
Any amount would be more than welcome, both for the above needs and the inevitable needs that will present after Dashain. My charitable endeavours continue unceasingly throughout the years since Feb 2010.
Please contribute direct to my dedicated PayPal account at:
paypal.me/socialendeavoursnp
I am hoping to send £35 (NPR5000) to each family unit. Or a total of £105.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROSITY
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