Back to School

Another lovely day. We got to Tara school only to find that Ani wasnt there - she was in Boudha,where we are staying !! Anyhow we were looked after by some of the young Nuns. They were 16 years old and had been there since their parents sent them 8 years ago, through sheer poverty- although we found out others had been rescued from the sex trade. One of the Nuns lived on the edge of Nepal in a remote village and had not seen her family since. However they were extremely happy and lived as one big family. The school and the living quarters are really good, they have proper beds and washing facilities, which are rare in Nepal They introduced us to their dogs, explaining that a dearly loved one had died not so long ago, despite seeking vet attention, again somthing rare in Nepal where dogs are usually abandoned to fend for themselves.
They were really funny, particularly when Dennis spilled water from the cup because they had over filled it. ' Oh my God' she exclaimed, and then realising her mistake we all laughed and she was so embarassed she had said that.( Buddists dont have a god ) When I said its ok, in future just say OMG they all knew what I meant and we all laughed some more.
They have good internet access and some of them are on facebook. They all wanted to know if I had a website so I gave them the address, and my email, so maybe I will have a few new contacts.  After the school tour we were shown the rest of Ani's CD's so of course we bought a few more and made a donation by way of thanks.. Then Dennis explained why we were there, to thank Ani for keeping me company during my SOL. I'm glad he did because I felt too emotional to tell them, especially as earlier in a different conversation they had said how healthy I looked. We took some photos which I said I would email when we get home.  They gave us some literature about Ani and the school and what I didnt realise was that their foundation supports a lot of other charities including KAT Kathmandu Animal Treatment and an old folks home for homeless women. If fact Ani is something of a womans libber, having been trained by her teacher that Nuns and women should have the same rights as men in Nepal. Everything she does is geared towards helping women. The intention behind the school is that unwanted poor village girls find sanctuary with a large family where they are educated to a very high standard- most go onto university. When they reach the end of their studies they are able to choose whether they would like to stay as a Nun or leave and take their education into a career that will help other women or their village. All proceeds from Ani's music goes towards the foundation.  Now thats an Inspirational Woman..