The Small World

Nepal offers visitors a variety of cultural sights, spectacular landscapes, and the warmth of its friendly residents. Almost every city has a glamorous temple or a unique stupa (a mound-like structure containing relics or used as a place of meditation). Even in the remote mountain villages of the Himalayas, religious wealth is omnipresent. From Lumbini in the south (which is considered to be the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism), to the far north (where Mount Everest stretches majestically towards the stratosphere), Nepal is bursting with overwhelming beauty.

However, the country’s commanding beauty is shrouded in a dark veil of cruel reality. Nepal is the poorest country in all of Asia and a very large part of the population lives in desperate poverty. Almost half of all young girls marry before the age of 18. Furthermore, it is estimated that 15,000-20,000 Nepalese girls are forced into the international sex slavery industry annually.

Nepal also has the lowest literacy rate of any Asian country and one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. The infrastructure is inadequate throughout and not available in many remote mountain villages. People survive with an ancient lifestyle that doesn’t include the modern comforts we take for granted: for example, roads, electricity, telephones, health care, running water, and schools are not common.

There is hope though with organizations that strive to lift the veil of darkness and to fill the lives of many with light: one of these organizations is The Small World. This not- for-profit organization supports locally organized sustainable development projects. Their focus is on providing children with education and building schools. Special emphasis is placed on girls who are at great risk of being exploited. By strengthening female empowerment and creating opportunities through education, poverty could be eradicated, and a brighter future would be projected onto the horizon for subsequent generations.