Hello everyone!
The cold weather has continued well into the end of January. We hope that all of you remain healthy.

Many people in Nepal use Facebook as a way to communicate and stay connected. By using Facebook Messenger’s call function, we can talk to our friends for free, any time we want. Today we would like to post the first in a series of interviews we conducted using Facebook Messenger.

While we have often used our website and YouTube channel to share the daily lives of the children in the facilities we support through our Foster Project, we have not yet gotten the chance to focus on individual children, or explore what the alumni of these facilities have been doing since their graduation.

This year, we will be interviewing both children in the facility and graduates to ask them about their lives and goals for the future!

Our first interview is with Bikash Barali, a graduate from the children’s facility Rising Lotus Children’s Village (RLCV).

Bikash is currently 21 years old. It has been 5 years since he graduated from RLCV. He is now working as an interior coordinator in Nepal’s second largest city, the popular tourist destination of Pokhara.

Bikash lost his parents when he was still young. He was too small to remember his mother at the time. Bikash and his sister were raised in his uncle’s house until he was 7, when his elementary school teacher suggested he live at RLCV. He stayed at the facility for 9 years until the age of 16.

Q　What are your memories of Rising Lotus Children’s Village?

Bikash talks about his experience at RLCV as a precious time in his life. He was very close to his four peers, who were like family to him. It was fun living with children his age, and the managing director Mr. Hari and women who cooked them meals were kind and looked out for him. He has fond memories of the various people who supported him, including CheFuKo (Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we used to visit the facility twice a year!).

 

 

 

 

<Photo (left): Bikash and his peers at their graduation / Photo (right): CheFuKo’s visit in March 2016 (Bikash is in the center of the furthest row)>

When asked if he had any unhappy memories, Bikash replied that he sometimes wished his mother and father were still around. After graduating from RLCV, he had to make up his own mind about what to do in the future. He thinks the choice would have been easier if his parents had been around to help him.

Q　What did you do after graduating?

Compulsory education lasts for 10 years in Nepal. After completing 10th grade and graduating from RLCV, Bikash moved to the city of Pokhara. He had no friends or relatives living there, but he was drawn to Pokhara for its beautiful nature and status as a tourist destination. The decision to move to Pokhara he made all on his own.

He lived and worked at a local restaurant for about three months, saving up money. After that, he moved in with a friend while searching for opportunities to work and study.

 

 

 

 

<Photo (left): The city of Pokhara / Photo (right): Vegetable market in Pokhara>

Bikash learned how to communicate with different kinds of people during his time at RLCV. Using these skills, he began studying marketing. For the next two years, he continued to work at an office while pursuing his studies independently.

He spent about two years teaching himself graphic design, then found and enrolled himself in a course on animation. He later travelled to India to expand his horizons, where he worked as a design intern.

During a period where he couldn’t find work, Bikash tried starting an online businesses, although it didn’t work out like he’d hoped. Around that time, he was asked to join the office where he currently works. This is where he found the opportunity to study interior design.

Q　What are you doing now? 

At the moment, Bikash works as an European-style interior design coordinator in Pokhara. The job involves talking to clients about how they would like to remodel their kitchens, living rooms, and other areas, then placing orders and directing subcontractors. Right now he is just one of the managers that work at his office, but his goal is to eventually establish his own office.

 

 

 

 

Q　What are your hobbies? And what do you think about Japan?

Bikash enjoys cycling and taking pictures. When he has the time, he likes travelling to various places.

He thinks of Japan as a very busy country where many Nepali people come to work. At the same time, he is interested in seeing Japan’s plentiful nature, especially Mount Fuji. He would like to be able to visit one day if he has the chance.

 

Q　What are your future dreams?

At first, Bikash answered that he didn’t have any dreams because he had worked so hard getting to where he was. As we continued the interview, he eventually explained that he wanted to establish his own design office by the time he was 22.

 

 

 

 

After completing his compulsory education and leaving RLCV, Bikash didn’t have the support network he needed to continue studying at school. It is truly impressive to learn how he managed to carve out his own path in a brand-new city, especially at the age of 17!

He may not have any big dreams at the moment, but Bikash plans to continue his work as an interior designer. All of us at CheFuKo wish him the best of luck!

The CheFuKo Foster Project supports children who come from difficult family situations so that they can continue their studies. You can find out more about the project here.

 

We will be publishing our next interview in March!