ASIP--Their World, Their Eyes--Introduction

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |

Satyaman Lama

His Childhood
Satyaman is the second son of the family. He had spent his childhood in comfort and happiness. They kept buffalo and goats in Satyaman’s house. He had grown up having milk, yoghurt, buttermilk and ghee. He was very simple as a child. While playing, his friends teasingly called him ‘lato’ (stupid). Satyaman went to a primary school in the village. He was good at studies so the teachers loved him as honest and obedient.
Satyaman went to school at 10 a.m. During school he sat on the grass and studied according to the teacher’s orders and in the evening he played with friends.
Satyaman’s life was passing happily in this way. His father used to go to the terai from time to time to trade oxen. When he returned he brought clothes, shoes, sweets and other things for all the family and the house would be filled with happiness. Satya’s life was progressing happily.
Then one day, after returning home, Satyaman’s father suddenly became sick. He was bedridden. Weeping and lamentation began in the house. His mother cried continuously and seeing this Satya also cried. They tried all sorts of treatment for his father. Satyaman’s elder brother even took him for treatment to the city but to no avail. And in the end God took away his father from this world; After that, Satya said, it was as if a thunderbolt had hit their house. Fighting all sorts of problems, his elder brother somehow provided food for the family.
His Work
One day after his father’s death, his elder brother and sister came to Kathmandu and began to work in a carpet factory. They visited home from time to time, bringing money, clothes, shoes for Satya and other family members. They recounted the beautiful life and good things of the city. So Satya also had a desire to go to Kathmandu and earn money.
During Dashain, Satyaman’s cousin had a proposal for Satya to go to Kathmandu. Satyaman expressed his desire to go and earn money in Kathmandu to his mother and elder brother. His mother and brother told him to go if he wished, and so he came to Kathmandu. On the bus trip to the city, many thoughts passed through his mind: he would go to the city, find a job, earn money, send the money home to his mother, wear good clothes... His elder brother took him to the place where he worked and the next day he took him to a house in Asan and said he would come later. Satyaman did not want to live in that busy household, though he stayed a few days. One day Satyaman made a mistake and the master scolded him; and the same day his brother came. The moment he saw his brother, Satyaman cried and refused to stay there. So his brother took him from there and kept him in the house that his friend had painted.
In the beginning Satyaman remembered his home and used to be sad. He didn’t know how to do the work. There was another household help before Satyaman and he did most of the work; later he, and the mother of the house, taught Satyaman how to perform the work. He began to do what work he was able to do. Two months after he came to that house they admitted him into Class Two at a school. Satyaman went to school from 10 to 3.30 and at other times he did what work he was able to in the house.
His Education
Satyaman had come to Kathmandu from his home to earn money but he was very happy to get a chance to study because he had a wish to study even as a child. From Class Two onwards, Satyaman did the work at home but continued his studies. Sometimes too much work made it difficult for him to study in-between, but the family members occasionally helped him with what he didn’t understand and advised him on how to labor hard in his studies, on methods to study properly, on suitable study times etc. All the family members told him to concentrate on his studies. As a result Satyaman has come from Class 2 to Class 9 today.
“Even though I worked in their house, every year they bought me a new uniform,” Satyaman says. “I have exercise books, textbooks, pen and everything, so no one at school knows that I work in another’s house. But sometimes some friends want to come home but since it is difficult I have to evade and make up something and at such times I feel a little embarrassed.”
Satyaman has lived in that house for seven years now. Sometimes he remembers the happy days when his father was alive, and feels dejected. If his father had been alive the situation that required him to work in another’s house would not have arisen. But sometimes he looks at his present fate and, feeling happy, says “I had come from the village to earn money, and if I had gone to the carpet factory like my elder brother what would be my fate, who would give me work and how would I have had to suffer? “My future would be dark. Today I got the opportunity to learn and see so many things. If I hadn’t read and known about nations far and wide and other things then how would I have been able to learn so much? I bless my good fate that I am living in a house where I will be educated”.
His Dreams
“In the future I wish to pass my S.L.C. from the house where I am living,” Satya says, “and to try my best to study up to Bachelor level. It will be enough if the master educates me that far. If the master of the house cannot and any organization or individual will come forward to educate me, then a citizen who can stand on his own feet and who is capable of serving the nation and society will be ready. I will never forget what each member of the family has done for me and if at any time they need me then I am prepared to help in any condition.”
Satyaman aims to be a social worker after he completes his studies. In his words: “In an underdeveloped nation like ours development takes place only in the cities, and in the villages the development has been about the size of a fly. More than 40% of the population is below the poverty line. Who is going to make the breakthroughs of communication available to them? What will the future be of a person who cannot read a single word? The ‘khate’ (street children) who move in the streets also have desires and wishes but in this age of ‘who is bigger than whom’ who will understand their feelings? That is why, to make sure that these children are not deprived of the warmth of education, I aim to open a social organization where the poor and talented children will be given training for various skills as well as encouraged to study.”
Satyaman is not unhappy to have to work in someone else’s house for his future because now he is taking steps forward towards success. If someone is there to help for his future, then he can become an understanding, talented, ideal person.

1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6 \| 7 \| 8 \| 9 \|
	Satyaman Lama His Childhood Satyaman is the second son of the family. He had spent his childhood in comfort and happiness. They kept buffalo and goats in Satyaman’s house. He had grown up having milk, yoghurt, buttermilk and ghee. He was very simple as a child. While playing, his friends teasingly called him ‘lato’ (stupid). Satyaman went to a primary school in the village. He was good at studies so the teachers loved him as honest and obedient. Satyaman went to school at 10 a.m. During school he sat on the grass and studied according to the teacher’s orders and in the evening he played with friends. Satyaman’s life was passing happily in this way. His father used to go to the terai from time to time to trade oxen. When he returned he brought clothes, shoes, sweets and other things for all the family and the house would be filled with happiness. Satya’s life was progressing happily. Then one day, after returning home, Satyaman’s father suddenly became sick. He was bedridden. Weeping and lamentation began in the house. His mother cried continuously and seeing this Satya also cried. They tried all sorts of treatment for his father. Satyaman’s elder brother even took him for treatment to the city but to no avail. And in the end God took away his father from this world; After that, Satya said, it was as if a thunderbolt had hit their house. Fighting all sorts of problems, his elder brother somehow provided food for the family. His Work One day after his father’s death, his elder brother and sister came to Kathmandu and began to work in a carpet factory. They visited home from time to time, bringing money, clothes, shoes for Satya and other family members. They recounted the beautiful life and good things of the city. So Satya also had a desire to go to Kathmandu and earn money. During Dashain, Satyaman’s cousin had a proposal for Satya to go to Kathmandu. Satyaman expressed his desire to go and earn money in Kathmandu to his mother and elder brother. His mother and brother told him to go if he wished, and so he came to Kathmandu. On the bus trip to the city, many thoughts passed through his mind: he would go to the city, find a job, earn money, send the money home to his mother, wear good clothes... His elder brother took him to the place where he worked and the next day he took him to a house in Asan and said he would come later. Satyaman did not want to live in that busy household, though he stayed a few days. One day Satyaman made a mistake and the master scolded him; and the same day his brother came. The moment he saw his brother, Satyaman cried and refused to stay there. So his brother took him from there and kept him in the house that his friend had painted. In the beginning Satyaman remembered his home and used to be sad. He didn’t know how to do the work. There was another household help before Satyaman and he did most of the work; later he, and the mother of the house, taught Satyaman how to perform the work. He began to do what work he was able to do. Two months after he came to that house they admitted him into Class Two at a school. Satyaman went to school from 10 to 3.30 and at other times he did what work he was able to in the house. His Education Satyaman had come to Kathmandu from his home to earn money but he was very happy to get a chance to study because he had a wish to study even as a child. From Class Two onwards, Satyaman did the work at home but continued his studies. Sometimes too much work made it difficult for him to study in-between, but the family members occasionally helped him with what he didn’t understand and advised him on how to labor hard in his studies, on methods to study properly, on suitable study times etc. All the family members told him to concentrate on his studies. As a result Satyaman has come from Class 2 to Class 9 today. “Even though I worked in their house, every year they bought me a new uniform,” Satyaman says. “I have exercise books, textbooks, pen and everything, so no one at school knows that I work in another’s house. But sometimes some friends want to come home but since it is difficult I have to evade and make up something and at such times I feel a little embarrassed.” Satyaman has lived in that house for seven years now. Sometimes he remembers the happy days when his father was alive, and feels dejected. If his father had been alive the situation that required him to work in another’s house would not have arisen. But sometimes he looks at his present fate and, feeling happy, says “I had come from the village to earn money, and if I had gone to the carpet factory like my elder brother what would be my fate, who would give me work and how would I have had to suffer? “My future would be dark. Today I got the opportunity to learn and see so many things. If I hadn’t read and known about nations far and wide and other things then how would I have been able to learn so much? I bless my good fate that I am living in a house where I will be educated”. His Dreams “In the future I wish to pass my S.L.C. from the house where I am living,” Satya says, “and to try my best to study up to Bachelor level. It will be enough if the master educates me that far. If the master of the house cannot and any organization or individual will come forward to educate me, then a citizen who can stand on his own feet and who is capable of serving the nation and society will be ready. I will never forget what each member of the family has done for me and if at any time they need me then I am prepared to help in any condition.” Satyaman aims to be a social worker after he completes his studies. In his words: “In an underdeveloped nation like ours development takes place only in the cities, and in the villages the development has been about the size of a fly. More than 40% of the population is below the poverty line. Who is going to make the breakthroughs of communication available to them? What will the future be of a person who cannot read a single word? The ‘khate’ (street children) who move in the streets also have desires and wishes but in this age of ‘who is bigger than whom’ who will understand their feelings? That is why, to make sure that these children are not deprived of the warmth of education, I aim to open a social organization where the poor and talented children will be given training for various skills as well as encouraged to study.” Satyaman is not unhappy to have to work in someone else’s house for his future because now he is taking steps forward towards success. If someone is there to help for his future, then he can become an understanding, talented, ideal person.