Alekh

Alekh lives on the streets of Kathmandu with his friends. Although he is just 16 year old now, he’s been on the streets for several years since he ran away from home to escape poverty and his parents’ arguing.

Alekh generally spends his time handing out with friends and their pet dog, Baby, near a local burger joint. This is where he first came in contact with SathSath during an outreach session.

Winter is a tough time for Alekh and other children and young people living on the streets of Kathmandu. Very few of them have warm blankets, heavy clothing, or hot soup. They have no shelter to keep themselves warm from the ripping cold winds of the winter evenings. To keep warm, they sleep huddled up with their adopted street dogs and wrapping their bodies up in sacks. Alekh and his friends sometimes get given thin blankets by kind-hearted strangers, which they use as extra layers to keep the cold away.

“We are grateful for the blankets that people give us, but they often get stolen when we have to leave our home to look for food. I share my blankets with friends, but sometimes we have to take drugs to help keep ourselves warm and not feel hungry.” Alekh

When SathSath met Alekh, they provided him jacket and other winter materials to keep him warm, along with basic food supplies, medical supports, life-skill trainings and counselling sessions. He’s also started going to SathSath’s centre, where he and his friends have the chance to take part in activities such as table football, taekwondo and watching films.

“Compared with a few years ago, my life is different. Although I don’t want to go to school like SathSath have tried to help me, everything has changed for the better since I got to know them. The main difference is how I look after myself and stay hygienic. SathSath were there for me when no one else was. In the future, I dream of being a footballer – SathSath helped me to practise by giving me a ball to play with.”