Sharmila is a loving mother who tries her best to take care of her son and two adopted children who were abandoned by their parents. Despite the poverty she faces and a health condition of her own, Sharmila graciously cares for all three children, providing them with a loving home and family so they will not be sent to an orphanage.
Sharmila is from Dhapakhel, Nepal, and lives with her husband, Dil, and their three children. They have one son together, and two precious adopted children who were abandoned by a relative. With no-one to take care of the two children, there was a risk of the children being taken from them and placed in an institution, so Sharmila and Dil decided to adopt the children as their own.
To try to create a loving home for their three children, Sharmila and Dil rented some land in Dhapakhel and built a single-room-hut, covered with galvanized sheets, to try to take care of the family as best they could.
Sharmila suffers from epilepsy and has to take medicine regularly to assist with her health condition. She stays at home taking care of the household and the children, but due to her health issues, she has been unable to participate in paid work. Dil drives someone's truck carrying construction materials, but it isn’t a full-time job and when there is no work, he doesn't get paid. Therefore, the family income was very unstable and insufficient. Dil struggled to provide for his family due to being the sole breadwinner.
After hearing of their situation, Sharmila, Dil, and their three children were invited to join a BSF family strengthening program in Dhapakhel, to which they gladly accepted. They soon participated in a BSF 'Money Management and Business Planning' training day, which inspired them greatly!
Sharmila and Dil expressed their interest to BSF to set up their own small-scale restaurant to better provide for their family. After much planning and discussion, BSF agreed to provide them with what they needed to get started: utensils, a refrigerator, furniture, a gas stove, 'momo' sheets, and a food grinder.
Sharmila and Dil invested a small amount of money they had themselves to purchase food materials for their restaurant. It wasn't long before the big day arrived and their restaurant was opened in collaboration with the local Ward Office. Sharmila and Dil have begun selling snacks and meals to customers and are now making a good profit each day.
They are so thankful to BSF for supporting them when no one else would.
Sharmila added, "Thank you BSF for helping us become a stronger family. We now have a more sustainable income and can take care of all three children ourselves. They don't need to go to an orphanage but can remain in our family. I also plan to expand this restaurant business and make additional food items while maintaining quality and hygiene. I believe we will now be able to provide for all the needs of our children. Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity and for all the support and training you have provided to our family.”
BSF is a partner for project J1079 & J1102 with Australian NGO, Global Development Group (ABN 57 102 400 993). Donations to BSF through Global Development Group are tax deductible in Australia, NZ, and the USA.
Building Strong Families Foundation or มูลนิธิสร้างครอบครัวเข้มแข็ง is a registered foundation in Thailand (ชม770), approved by the Ministry of Interior.