Dhangadi, May 31

Dibyaswori Bohara of Geta, Kailali, has been a mother to orphans in SOS Children’s Village of her village for the past year.

It was very difficult for Dibyaswori to earn the trust of the children at first, but she is now loved and respected by all of them. She said, “You cannot be a mother by simply being called by that word. A parent-child bond has to come from within.”

Dibyaswori looks after ten children at the organisation, many of who witnessed their parents’ deaths. The SOS Children’s Village is a kilometre away from her home. Dibyaswori said, “I am proud of my work serving orphaned children. I am proud to be their mother. All my children are equal in my eyes.”

Similarly, Gopi Karki of Dolakha too is playing the role of a mother at the SOS Children’s Village in her locality. Karki said that it was very tough for her to win the children’s trust since she had her own children. But she too later managed to convince the children of her love and affection for them.

As many as 15 women look after 84 orphans as their own at various branches of the SOS Children’s Village.

Shivraj Rokaya,12, and his brother Jagadish, 7, were brought to the village from Birapu VDC, Kalikot one year ago. Shivraj remembers how his father, mother, and sister were buried underneath a landslide that swept away their house. Both brothers have been placed with the same ‘mother’ so that they feel they are part of one family.

SOS Children Village Chief Padam Bahadur Hamal said that it was challenging to run an artificial family. “Children are the future of the nation. We have make them feel that we are their family members,” he said.