Remember this face of hunger? We met Buddhi Maya Biswakarma, a two-year-old Dalit child from Dang, hungry and crying at a brick kiln in Lalitpur three months ago (photo below). Her father Nawaraj and mother Chuna Devi had come from Dang to earn enough to repay a loan they took to buy two goats. Buddhi Maya was severely malnourished, and four other daughters had dropped out of school.
After Nepali Times published the story many readers offered to help and Rs 82,190 was raised, including Rs10,000 from our staff. After repaying the loan, we handed over the remaining Rs 58,290 to Sundar Dhoka Sathi Sewa, a Lalitpur-based charity that is paying for nutritional support for the child as well as other medical treatment.
Buddhi Maya has gained 1 kg since then, now weighs 5kg and looks a lot healthier . The remaining funds will be used to send her four sisters to a school near their home in Dang. Sundar Dhoka has already enrolled the girls, and has also helped the family by buying nine new goats.