Ambassador Abraham Nir visits village orphanage in Biratnagar

It has rightly been said that some are born great, some acquire greatness and some are made great. It should then equally be true that some are born poor, some make themselves poor and finally some are forced to become poor.

I don't know which part of the above stated theory exactly fits into the Nepali population who have been told that they were poor or were forced to be poor or even were born poor. The hard fact is that a majority of the Nepali population are born poor and the Nepali government apparently has told them that until the men manning the government do not become rich guys, their turn will not come. If this is the case then I can't see a sizeable section of this lot becoming richer in my lifetime. Look at the size of the cabinet and consider the formation of many a more cabinets in the future.

The government statistics claims that 42% of the people were below the poverty line. I totally disagree with this paper statistics simply because I have seen the poor people in millions and millions. The government has a different eye to look at the hard facts. The government is supposed to tell a lie. I'm not duty bound to toe the "'official line"'. However, the responsibility has been best shouldered by some of my professional colleagues in government media or has become the duty of some newspapers affiliated to the ruling clique.

Definitely, poverty stricken population lives outside Kathmandu valley. The best way to look them from close quarters is to visit villages in remote areas, be it in the mountains or for that matter in the Terai plains. The real picture of Nepal could be found there.

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit my hometown Biratnagar with His Excellency Abraham Nir-the newly appointed Israeli Ambassador to the Nepali court. The Biratnagar Press Club had in their program a short trip to MALHANAWA village, ten minutes drive to the west from the Biratnagar municipality.

When the Ambassador saw the plight of the children there who collectively greeted with their modest and innocent smile, could not speak for few moments. The envoy was taken aback when he saw this appalling poverty in the said village. The children had no proper clothes, no shoes and perhaps nothing to eat as such. Yet the organizers of this meet in the village apparently had tried their best to dress the kids to camouflage the existing poverty there. This notwithstanding, the Israeli diplomat could guess that every thing was a dressing of the window not to let him understand the real plight and the poverty that is reigning supreme in that particular village.

That the Ambassador was moved with the plight of the local children and that he was little bit shocked with the horrible picture reflected at time of his brief speech. In effect the Israeli diplomat could not talk for more than fifteen seconds. This is a fact. There is nothing to pretend and tell a different story.

Understandably, the distinguished Israeli diplomat could not resist his temptation to assist the rag-bag-bobby-tail children and donated some amount that would perhaps be utilized for paying the salaries of the teacher who has been teaching the children almost free since several months or so.

The school where the children study is no more than a cow yard. It is thatched house shown in the picture. The kids have no books, no pencils, and no papers to write. The office bearers of the Panchmukhi Bal Bikash Kendra, an NGO in effect, presented the salient features of the almost open air school and their immediate requirements.

The small private donation from the Israeli diplomat has definitely gone into the hands of the needy ones. It has gone in the name of educating the Nepali children in the villages where the light of education has not yet reached. The donation could be small but yet its impact would be great. The NGO has already sent messages of sincere thanks to the diplomat through these columns. If the children could read and write for some months even with that small amount, the charity from Israel will not go in vain.

My personal impression has been that we the human beings possess tender hearts inside. We all feel shocked when some appalling scenes we come across. Ambassador Abraham Nir is also a human being first and then representative of the State of Israel. As a human being whatever he did for the orphanage in the village must be admired. Perhaps his gesture would draw the attention of the donor community in Kathmandu who feel pleased in supporting those NGOs which were based in the valley and also comprised of those who were high placed personalities.

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