BAJURA, MARCH 12
Two young siblings from Himali Rural Municipality-7 of Bajura find themselves caught in the crossfire of their parents' absence and remarriage, leaving them stranded and vulnerable.
Their father, Dal Giri, has been missing for three years, while Mina Giri, the mother of 5-year-old Manash Giri and 4-year-old Manish Giri, remarried a year and a half ago. This left their sons in the care of their elderly grandparents, further complicating their already precarious situation.
"With our son missing and our daughter-in-law remarrying, we find ourselves thrust into the role of caretakers for these young children when we should be receiving care ourselves," Grandmother Thumara Giri expressed their plight.
Manash attends Grade 1 while Manish is enrolled in the village school's nursery. However, the absence of a breadwinner in the family has made it challenging for their grandparents to support their education.
"We are past the working age; thus, we rely on the goodwill of our neighbors to put food on the table," explained grandfather Shankar Giri. Their dire circumstances, compounded by the lack of any land for cultivation, force the family to purchase their sustenance, adding to their financial woes.
"The absence of both our son and daughter-in-law has left the family in distress," they add. Despite their efforts to locate their missing son, their search has yielded no results over the years.
The boys' school reports irregular attendance, often sans the required uniform, signaling the challenges they face even in accessing education.
In their time of need, the elderly grandparents appeal for any support to alleviate the burden on their grandchildren, both in terms of schooling and daily living.
