Needy students | Grade 10 |JIRI
Muna Sherpa lives in a small village in Jiri municipality which is located in a remote area of Dolakha district, Nepal. Muna is the eldest daughter of the family. Muna has been sick since her childhood. She experiences unexplained fatigue, swelling tongue, feeling dizzy, and a lack of concentration in school. She even had to repeat the same class twice because of her illness.
Then, her father took her to Jiri Hospital but the Dr. referred Muna to Charikot Hospital. Both of these hospitals didn’t find out the exact illness. Finally, Muna’s parents took her to Kathmandu where the doctor diagnosed her with a severe case of thyroid. Since there is no thyroid gland in her throat Muna’s Dr. asked her parents that they need to bring Muna to Kathmandu once in 2 months for a regular checkup and she needs to take medicine daily for her whole life.
Since then Muna comes to Kathmandu regularly for treatment. It costs lots of money. It takes 1 day from Jiri to Kathmandu by bus and takes at least 2 days to come and back. The expense of regular checkups, travel expenses to Kathmandu, and ongoing medication has been very high for her parents. It has been very hard to arrange the money for them. Muna’s mother used to manage the expense of treatment by selling her domestic cattle. Muna had to quit her medicine and checkup several times because her mother didn’t have money.
Muna’s parents built a home just before the Nepal quake in 2015 by borrowing money from their relatives. The home was severely damaged by the earthquake. Now it remains only the first floor where the family is living in. However, the family is still paying home loan step by step. They have no good income source to pay back the loan, rear the three children, and plus Muna’s regular treatment.
Therefore Muna’s father Ang Tsering Sherpa went to Malaysia for working but his hands were fractured by a machine while he was working in a company. The company just paid half of his treatment cost and the rest was spent by himself taking a loan once again. Besides, during the covid-19 and lockdown, he couldn’t work for a long time. Muna’s father still works in Malaysia but he cannot work well. This is why he is not able to earn enough money for his home.
Even though Muna is suffering from the illness, she is working hard for her studies. She had to walk two hours from home to reach school in the morning and walk two hours again from school to home in the afternoon. This path to school for other mountain students is hard but however, for Muna is much more difficult. And when Muna couldn’t go to school and at home, she tries helping her mother, such as looking after cattle, collecting fodder for animals from the forest, cook meals, and looking after her younger siblings, etc. She tried not to become a burden to her mother.
“I am the eldest daughter of my family and I always want to help my mother and share the responsibility of my family, but due to my illness, I could not help much. My mother works very hard and she suffered very much for my sake. I always wish I would not be the reason for my mother’s suffering anymore.” Muna said.
One day, Karma DM, a social worker from ICEF-Taiwan visited Muna’s school and noticed her problems. He also visited Muna’s home and figured out her problems in detail with her parents. Mun’a parents explained her condition and the financial difficulties they faced in affording the necessary treatment. Touched by the young girl’s determination and her family’s struggle, Karma DM reported Muna’s story to ICEF-Taiwan, highlighting the girl’s potential and her family’s financial condition. Then the compassionate team of ICEF-Taiwan, moved by the family conditions, decided to support Muna’s further education plus her regular medical needs and travel expenses to Kathmandu.
Thanks to the collective efforts of the team ICEF-Taiwan’s support, Muna is keeping receiving the necessary medication and regular treatment in Kathmandu for many years. Inspired by the support of ICEF-Taiwan, Muna is doing good in her school as well. She passed her last final exam of grade 9 with better marks and now she studies in grade 10. She works hard to catch up on the lessons that she misses during her regular medical checkup and dedicates herself to her studies. When She comes to the hospital in Kathmandu to check regularly, she also visited Sherpa Children Home’s office and hostel and gets well with a social worker and SCH children. She feels warm and much love.
I am alive and living healthy life because of these medicines and all sponsors’ help and love. Everyone is worried about my health.
Thanks from the bottom of my heart to ICEF-Taiwan and all my dear sponsors for helping me”. Muna said with a pure smile.
Muna hopes to become a nurse in the future. Therefore, she can help herself and other patients. Deep and best wishes to Muna!
