As a child growing up in Bal Mandir, I have not just seen many types of trainings mainly vocational but also been active participants of many of such trainings; that was targeted towards us hoping such training will help us to be independant. Those training were not just limited to vocational work but we also were given equal opportunities when it comes to creative art or honing talent as of the affluent family member’s children, who used to come in Bal Mandir for after school programs. After school programs used to focused shaping young talents in the area of singing, dancing, drama, paintings and clay sculpture classes. Besides, Bal Mandir was the centre of many other nationwide school competitions such as debate, drawings, musics, singing and dancing. These also provided us more opportunities to take part in all those competitions.
Later on in life, what really pulled my attention is, that none of the shining stars emerged after all those trainings and pursued their passion and pride as a career. Not even by those young and talented child, who won gold medals in singing, dancing and dramas.
Once, they were grown and out from the children’s home they never pursued their passion, instead they vanished like a smoke and choose invision life rather than shining bright. Bhim Tuladhar from Paropkar singing gold medalist of many times, Tsering Doma Sherpa from SOS who won many gold medals in dance competitions and Moti Didi and other girls and boys from Bal Mandir who kept winning gold medals in so many nationwide competitions that used to take place annually during royal era. Today, I really don't hear any of those names in the creative industry nor in radio or television. Why all those rigorous training and opportunities did not do that good, to those bright child when some others shining brightly without getting such opportunities in life ?
Interestingly, people who paid for those after school classes, made a big name later in their life specially in the creative fields like music and drama [movie]. Music director Shambhujeet Baskota and director Nir Shah was to name few, who shone brightly in the Nepali movie industry.
The question persist in my mind why children from Bal Mandir or other children’s homes did not make significant presence in the respective area, even after winning gold medals continuously for many years and why some others made it big without getting such opportunities in their life ?
Its not just about good training in vocational art or creative fields to nurture talents, they did not do much good in life pursuing it as a livelihood. Even if, they are educated they are not doing that well in the workplace to make it at par with the others who are as qualified as them.
No one can undermine the importance of education but this too do not offer us all the wisdom of life. No doubt, over the years this is the only thing that have been helpful to support our life more than any other trainings [combined] but the truth is most of the educated people from Bal Mandir have not risen to the top post in any office and made a significant presence in the office they work. Most of the people end up in same position for so long becomes frustrated and stays in rented rooms almost all their lives. So if the education is the answer to the question, why then even a good education and school background is not changing the life of poor people in a significant way ?
One of the student who were the last one to complete a sponsored seat from school like St. Mary’s is now working in nail art in US. The children who rubbed the shoulders with royals children in good schools in their childhood for being a bright students just did not do much good when they grew up bit old and now no one knows which school they went as a young child. The class toppers who never came second in life are living almost invisible staff in their workplace instead of going after coveted positions in office and now only they know once he / she was unbeatable in their own class. Some of my friends from their hold masters degree and yet just working as office assistant and not taking a moment to think, ‘why I am just an office assistant when my boss is as educated I am ?’ Double master degree holders is one of the most frustrated middle aged father yet working two job at the same time to meet the cost to raise the family whilst he has been working in his office at the same position for almost 20 years by now.
All this observation made me think hard and forced me to find answer to this question. I am not the kind of person who believes that love has all the answer and it does some magic. Maybe, but this is not the place where I want to stuck up to find my answers. There are so many people who really have worked up before me and come up with more convincing answer in area.
Low self esteem, inferiority complex and intimidation from those who has and hiding the fact lifelong that once we were in Bal Bal Mandir is a fact you can read easily in the face of many who are facing the boss. Always fearing that our background do have something to play a role in our life, which bars us to move ahead; is what gnaws me more than I really want to be convinced. Is this reality or we are too lazy to work hard, letting the karma rule in our subconscious mind and accepting it; saying it is the reason we are suffering like this. Or the most coveted position are only for those who went to good school or whose parents are rich and affluent.
Frustrations, negativing thinking, nagging, ranting, venting and defeated mentality is not just the exclusive property of ‘ours’ issue but it seems that these are the national problem. Even then, the question persist what should be our next step to find the solution ?
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