The Story behind Home of Dreams

MY STORY:
I'm Siddartha Bdr Shahi. I am from a very rural village of western Nepal. To reach my district, I have to walk up and down many mountains and hills. Many people in my village are still ignorant of schools, motor vehicles, telephone, television, etc. You will have difficulty imagining just how undeveloped the region is.
I was born in what modern Nepali would call a middle class family in 1995. My mother told me that before I was born, she had been very sick for several months and I was born with deformed/disabled legs.
My father had already deserted my mother and moved in with another woman. This created a huge problem for my family.. Soon my father decided to desert us completely.. By that time, my mom was already pregnant with her next baby that resulted in the birth of my sister.
My mother was kicked out of our home by my father, who was now supporting his next wife. My mom was left with nothing except with three dependent children; me, my sister and older brother. As the village is undeveloped and lacking education, almost everyone is superstitious and religious. As a result, they believed that our misfortune was a sign of bad luck or a punishment of the gods. My mom especially, was treated very badly because she lacked a husband: It must have been her failings that caused him to leave!!!! . We were completely isolated from the village community. My mom would be continually moving to different villages in search of work and help.
Finally one lady promised to provide us with shelter and food, if my mom would work for her. The lady gave us a measured quantity of food every day. If we had intense hunger on some occasions, it would be a major problem. There was no extra food.
Of all the three children, I was the weakest one because I was born with disabled legs. My mom worried so much about me and what my future would hold. But she supported me in getting an education at a primary school in a neighbouring village. Meanwhile the Nepali civil war had begun and Maoists enforced their rule in many remote villages of Nepal. Thus, it became more difficult for me to get schooling.
My mom, made the acquaintance of a person who told her he will get me to Kathmandu, arrange for surgery to my legs and provide good education. My mom was uneducated and trusting. So, she easily believed him and sent me with the man, together with several thousand rupees. He never took me to Kathmandu, but instead kept me to work in his house. I used to do almost everything in his house. Cleaning, looking after his son, looking after cattle, helping in kitchen, all were part of my daily routine. I was just 10 years of age!
After a very long period of time, I got to know that the place was Nepalgunj, not Kathmandu as I had thought. During that time and almost every night, I would see my mom sister and brother in my dreams. I missed them so much! Maybe my intense focus on them brought it about that after almost one and half years, my brother arrived in Nepalgunj to take me away with him. He told me that he had heard news of my whereabouts from a friend and he had come to take me with him for ever. That was one of the happiest days of my life.
Eventually, my brother took me to Kathmandu for the first time, which was also the first time for him! He knew a few people in Kathmandu and it was they who helped me to gain admittance to an INGO, after having knocked on the doors of almost every children's home in Kathmandu. This is how I came to city for the first time and lived here for several years.
This is just a brief overview of how I arrived to an INGO. There are a multiple of incidents that took place in my life that I will refrain from sharing here!
After having personally been confronted by all these challenges, I can easily understand how difficult it is for other small children to face such situations. I believe each and every member of the society is responsible for ensuring that such problems do not take place in the lives of innocent little children. I am determined to ensure that I, at least, will give what I am able to ensure that children are not exposed to such experiences. I will do all I can to ensure that whatever possible, I will assist children to realise their dreams. It has always been my desire to help children in need. So I decided to establish a project where I can help children who come from similar backgrounds like I came from. I am determined to expand my endeavours by establishing a home to initially offer security, care and love to socially and economically challenged children.

My endeavour have these goals:

1. Provide abandoned, needy, poor and disabled children with an honest and loving environment in which to grow-up in safety.
2. Secure for the children, a Steiner-Waldorf primary education in association with the Waldorf Schools in Nepal.
3. Provide free health related facilities, awareness and care:
4. Create greater awareness of the realities of modern life, its successes and failures.
5. To assist children in whatever manner I am able, to realise their dreams.
6. To expand ‘Home of Dreams’ for vulnerable children for their bright future.
7. To make the proper use of funds and support that have been offered by people around the world.

At the age of 17 I started working as a teacher in private school. I also volunteered in several Waldorf School in Nepal. I was working in Waldorf school since 2 years but unfortunately I lost my job due to Covid. Now I'm studying interior design in the day time and looking after children in morning and evening. I will be joining new job very soon.