Rohit's College Fund

Rohit Malla is 20 years old, the second of three sons. He is from the village of Rudrapur (near Butwal) in Rupandehi district near Butwal in the south of Nepal.

At the age of 7 or 8 years old, Rohit's father died. As Rohit puts it, "He just never woke up." Already poor, the situation without a father was now desperate. His mother made money by breaking boulders at the river bank with a hammer, until the boulder was a heap of gravel. No longer could she feed her three sons. Rohit's mother, perhaps terrified, perhaps grief stricken, ran off and the three boys became orphans.

It was also a frightening and dangerous time to be in the villages. Rohit remembers how the Maoists would slit peoples throats and throw the dead bodies. He recalls dead bodies scattered in the road. Political stability increased and times were perilous, especially for young orphan boys.

A grandmother took in two of the sons but conditions continued desperate and dangerous. The eldest son had to work as a child laborer for almost no wages in a hotel in the city. Sad, traumatized and feeling hopeless, the eldest boy wrote out a help add on a piece of paper and posted it in the city.

That act created a change. A local philanthropist found the boys and all three were take to an orphanage where they were given food, clothing, lodging and importantly education. They couldn't believe their luck!

Shortly after, we met the boys and began to help the orphanage. Rohit is at a loss for words to describe his gratitude for the years we (Hands of Hope) have helped him with education and living expenses.

We never knew Rohit would be such a shining student. In high school he studied hard, made good marks and earned a little extra money tutoring other students in math. People also told us about his sketches. And yes, he is also an exceptional artist - self taught.

For the last two years we have been supporting living and education expenses and he has been attending a special preparation academy in Kathmandhu and writing an exam in the hope of winning one of 43 full medical scholarships offered in Nepal. Approximately 12 000 people compete annually, in what is almost unattainable, even for the most brilliant student.

Rohit is from a very poor background and lowest caste, but a mistake in paperwork registered him as a higher caste. It was good fortune to go to an orphanage and be sent to a private school; but bad fortune because now he is ineligible for receiving government preference, based on being a brilliant government school graduate. To make his situation even more challenging, though he is dalit, the lowest caste, but registered as a higher caste he cannot receive government assistance for exceptional low caste students.

Rohit so badly wants to be a doctor and has studied

so hard for two years to win this medical scholarship. He has not succeeded, although he does qualify for entrance to a medical school

We continue to support him as he continues to study for the exam and continues to hope he wins the scholarship that will allow him to fulfill his dreams and change the entire course for his family.

On his wall in the small room we've rented for him in Kathmandhu he has taped a piece of paper reminding himself to study and completely dedicate his energy to his books until he becomes a doctor.

To become a doctor Rohit needs, with living expenses about 50 000 Canadian total, or about 10 000 per year.

We don't know how such a little organization like Hands of Hope can pull together this kind of money but we have to find a way. We can't let the dreams of such a motivated and bright boy crumble and come to nothing. Somehow, some way this money has to come together. With this money we know he will become a doctor and help so many people, because that's his aspiration. He's seen suffering and wants to alleviate pain.