There are currently four of the original eight children living at Farmer House.
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Ranjana, now 20 years old, is currently "Head of Household" at Farmer House, and is in the second year of a 2-year course at the Nepal Tourism and Hotel Management College in Pokhara after receiving her School Leaver’s Certificate at Himanchal School. She is thoroughly enjoying her course and student life. She particularly enjoys cookery. She supervises the younger children at the house and keeps the place in order. She is also very good at keeping me informed!
The oldest girl, Anjana, 22, is currently working and studying an English-for-Business course at Greenwich college in London, UK. To help with her funding, she is working part time as an au pair for a family in Richmond, in south-west London.
Roshan (Lila), 20, now lives at the Providence Children’s Home in Pokhara, run by my friend from Germany, Bill. After completing a 2-year course in Accountancy and Management at the Sagarmatha Higher Secondary School, Lila started his first job as trainee manager at the Snowlands Hotel in Pokhara, when I was visiting in July. He was chosen out of more than 100 applicants for the job. He may have a chance to work in Malaysia after high season is over in Nepal, at The Green Village, a small family-run hotel on the island of Langkawi off the west coast of Malaysia. He is now able to give some of his earnings to his mother who is now bringing up Lila’s siblings alone. At Providence House he acts as "Big Brother" to the children in the home. Bill and I are planning to build a small house for his mother and siblings on Bill’s land next to Farmer House, so the children have easier access to schools and work.
Anju, 16, is in year 10 at the Himanchal School, boarding in the hostel for her final year. She continues to excel at school and to enjoy learning. Anju loves living in the hostel, having time to read and study rather than doing chores, and is planning to work in a skills-development centre for women when she has finished her exams. She is an avid reader and is also well informed about world events.
Ranjit is in year 10 at the "Little Step Higher Secondary School". He is also living in a hostel for his final year, and he really enjoys the life there. He is the captain of the football team and, when I visited in July, it was clear that he was a role model for some of the younger boarders. He proudly showed me round his school. The principal is a well-educated and very well-spoken lady who has a surprisingly modern approach to education. She is pleased with Ranjit’s progress and behavior at the school.
Prakash, now 15, is in year seven at the Himanchal English Boarding School along with Manju , 14, also in year seven, and Anusha, 8, in year two.
Manju and Prakash (Lila’s brother) do not excel at school but are managing. I suspect that it is partly due to the fact that they have the biggest workload at the house.Prakash is very reliable and very good with the tourists who go horse-riding. Laxman would like him to take over that part of the business when he has finished school. We will see.
Anusha is doing very well at school, having studied in English right from the beginning. She is very bright and sociable now, after being a very shy little girl up to last year.
Manusha was an unexpected addition to the family. Apparently Kanchi was very ill during the pregnancy and had to spend a long time in hospital. Ranjana stayed there with her each night.
Grandma Laxmi is still going strong, but was recovering from a broken hip when I was there. She looks after the baby which at the time was much less strenuous for her than herding the buffalo!!
There are also a number of other children staying at the house. One 12 year old boy, Santosh, who does not go to school (and doesn’t want to!) helps Laxman during the day when the others are at school. Another boy, Manoz, also helps out after school. There is another lady with two little girls who does the laundry and helps with the cooking.
