Usa-Nepal Community Outreach Network

I was born in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, a dirty, noisy, and busy city, filled with many wonders and inspirations, yet abundant with chaos. I lived through a Civil War in Nepal, which lasted throughout most of my childhood. I remember seeing countless violent protests and chaos. The closing of schools, curfews, and government shutdowns were a daily part of my life. The life I led for ten years in a war torn and politically unstable country truly shaped me into a person who not only wants to bring peace, but also make sure that other children do not have to go through what I experienced or worse.
I grew up facing many conflicts but the long power cuts was one of the many things that darkened the country the most. My neighborhood only received electricity for less than eight hours a day. I would usually have to do my homework and study under candle light. My school required us to wear uniforms, which had to be ironed. On days I could not iron my uniform, I would fold it neatly and press it under my bed throughout the night. Getting a proper school education for several thousand kids in Nepal has been and still is a big challenge.
Endless doors of opportunity opened for me when I moved to the United States from Nepal in 2010. I was introduced to USA-Nepal Community Outreach Network (UNCON), a tax exempt Texas non-profit organization that focuses on helping the underprivileged in the U.S.A and Nepal. Through this organization, I was able to reach out and lend a hand to a lot of the underprivileged children in Nepal.
UNCON established the Youth group in 2015 and I was honored to be one of the first youth member of the organization, dedicated to bringing positive changes in the lives of other people. There are millions of people in every corner of the world who live in wretched conditions, especially in Nepal, a developing country. Through UNCON, I was able to raise funds for projects that would not only help underprivileged people, but also bring smile to their faces. In October of 2015, the UNCON Youth Computer lab was established in a school in Nepal, furnished with computers. It was heart melting to see the looks on the faces of the students since most of them had never used such technology before. Along with this, I was involved with raising funds to support kids to go to school, by providing school expenses such as tuition, fees, school uniform, snacks, and necessary school supplies for twenty underprivileged children who are enrolled in the community school in rural areas of Nepal. Thousands of children who grow up in western and rural Nepal do not get the opportunity to have a school education, which is heartbreaking. I strongly believe that education is the key to success, and by helping the kids with their education, UNCON is helping them succeed in life.
All in all, the long hours and hard work that I have invested in UNCON has been worth it. I have spent of a lot time working with my fellow UNCON Youths is hopes of making positive difference in the lives of people, whether it be small or big. UNCON has truly touched the souls of youths and adults and has given them a chance in life to be successful.

There is a sense of fulfillment that nestles in the heart of a human when committing a selfless task. This feeling can be obtained by being involved with nonprofit organizations. In my personal experience, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the USA-Nepal Community Outreach Network (UNCON), a tax-exempt Texas non-profit organization that focuses on helping the underprivileged population in the United States and Nepal. As a member of UNCON, the most meaningful project that I have been involved with is the Computer Lab project. The focus for this project was to raise funds to develop a computer lab at a school located in an impoverished area of Nepal. My contribution to the computer lab was small'simply spread the word about the lack of technology in a village in Nepal. However, simply giving time to spread awareness about this project not only changed my life, but the lives of over 300 children in Nepal.
Contributing to a non-profit organization can be a very fulfilling task. Whether it be spreading awareness on topics, donating money, or volunteering, any involvement with a non-profit organization can positively change the lives of people across the globe. In my experience, spreading awareness about the Computer Lab project with UNOCN caused many people to donate money to the project. Over time, the organization collected enough money to build a computer lab for the Himalaya Lower Secondary School in a remote village in Nepal. The most fulfilling moment of the entire project was seeing pictures of the children's reactions after the completion of the lab. The conditions these children resided in; the destruction and filth, was a contrast to the smiling faces they depicted in the pictures. I distinctly recall the moment I opened the small bundle of photographs containing the images of the children. Upon looking at the photos, it was not the dirty floors, overcrowded classrooms, or filthy clothes that immediately caught my eye. Instead, it was the youthful innocence and pure appreciation that, to this day, inspire me to help those that are less fortunate to smile.
Giving the time to simply research, understand, and spread the word on the Computer Lab project allowed me to see the reality that some people are forced to live in. This realization has allowed me to appreciate my circumstance and develop a passion for helping others. In fact, this experience has inspired me to be involved with UNCON's next project, the Chaupaddi Project. Chaupraddi is a tradition where young girls are forced to stay outside of their home (normally in goat sheds) during their menstrual cycle. These young women are unable to touch others or consume nutritional milk products. Many have died from lack of nutrition, snakebites, disease, and rape because of this tradition. From my interest in both projects, I have developed a passion to help others. I have come to realize that simply giving the time to spread the word about a service project has changed my life for the better. Overall, I have learned that any contribution to a non-profit organization can create meaningful memory for both you and those you have helped.

If I had a product label, it would say 'Native of Nepal, Product of America.' As a Nepali growing up in America, I was fortunate enough to have access to a good education, proper healthcare, and other privileges that citizens of Nepal do not. With age and numerous trips to Nepal, I began to understand that even though I did not physically live in Nepal, it was still my duty to use my privileges to make an effort in relieving the plight of the less fortunate in Nepal. With this belief instilled in me, I joined USA-Nepal Community Outreach Network (UNCON), a tax-exempt Texas non-profit organization that strives to aid the underprivileged in the USA and Nepal, with a larger focus on the latter. I joined as a youth member at the time of the NGO's conception and along with other like-minded Nepali youth members, we began organizing projects that would benefit the less fortunate in Nepal. Our projects included fundraising for the victims of the 2015 earthquake, rebuilding schools, creating computer labs for educational purposes, and bringing awareness to the ritual of Chhaupadi, our current project.

An ancient social ritual rooted in Hinduism, Chhaupadi is the practice of secluding women from daily activities during their menstrual cycle because they are seen as impure. Women are restricted from entering kitchens, temples, going to school, eating certain foods, and are forced to live in a makeshift hut, out of fear that she will anger the Hindu gods. As a result, this practice has claimed many lives and continues to do so even after being outlawed in 2005, as reported by many international news outlets on the recent death of a 15-year old girl practicing this ritual. As a woman, the discriminatory and inherently dangerous superstitions held against other woman urged me to support this cause. The youth group knew that completely eradicating this practice on the first try would be difficult to do, so we started off with the first step to creating any sort of change, which was raising awareness, both in Nepal and in the USA.

To highlight the dangers of the ritual in Nepal, the youth group held a fundraiser and utilized the funds to organize a street drama that incorporated local actors in the village of Jumla, an area where Chhaupadi is still prevalent, that educated the residents on the consequences of practicing their outdated beliefs. To bring awareness to the local community here in Texas, the youth team is currently partnering with members of UNCON and local activists in Nepal and working on a documentary, which we are planning to screen in early 2017.

Although this project is still in progress, we hope it is as successful as our previous projects in creating an impact. Through both the previous and current projects, UNCON has allowed me and the other youth members to use our talents and privileges to educate and aid not only the people in our local community but those in Nepal as well. Through our combined efforts and small contributions, we have been able to create a world's difference in the lives of both young and old in Nepal.

When I am often reminded of home, I imagine my protective two-story house, and the green, clean grass surrounding the premise. However, another image often flashes through my mind as well: shabby dwellings, littered streets, and homeless children. In the small, populated country of Nepal, many children are left out on the streets without the care of parents or proper guardians. 22.61% of all children perform in child labor and thousands of children are trafficked for the flesh trade, commercial sexual exploitation, and the circus. Ever since the destructive April 2015 earthquake in Nepal, 320,000 children have been rendered homeless and human trafficking has become a growing crime organization, where the victims (often women and children) are captured from their homes and taken to the border where the majority are distributed in India.
I am fortunate that I live in a home with my parents and have access of all the modern facilities and technologies; but in many occasions, I think about the people, especially children, who have no food to eat and clothes to cover their bodies. My willingness to help such deprived children motivated me to join UNCON, a non-profit organization established to help the underprivileged population it its capacity. As a youth member of UNCON, I am helping the underprivileged people through various means ' fund raising, volunteer, youth idea exchange through webinar, etc. Our organization, and especially the youth group I am in involved with, works vigorously to provide as much support so that the necessities of those of indigence and harm are safeguarded to the best of our abilities. My goal, as a youth member of the organization and as a Nepali, is to involve myself to provide for as many children and not allow them to assume familiarity with a lifestyle in which it is difficult to receive proper care, education, and treatment.
In a single passing day, children are abused, unfed, abandoned, and simply uncared for. There is never a time in which one who has enough for oneself is unable to give to those on the brink of survival. In this growing society of luxury and leisure, it is easy to forget the hardships of others. Through small donations and increasing awareness, we are able to take a step back and retain compassion and understanding, contributing to the idea of living in union with one another. Charity has given me the ability to connect with those children and will ultimately change someone's entire life.