Four Dreams of Life Fulfilled as Children Return Home: A Letter, A Journey, and Reunion
Jhapa – On the last day of Ashar 2083 (mid-July 2026), a formal letter was being prepared at the Nepalese Consulate General’s office in Kolkata, India. This letter was not about a trade agreement or diplomatic decision. Instead, it carried the joyful news that would mark a new chapter in the lives of four Nepali children. The letter contained four names – Meena Bishwakarma (16), Seema Murmu (13), Suraj Jogi (14), and Maya Tamang (17). (Names changed to protect the children’s privacy). While Meena and Seema hailed from the same district, Suraj and Maya came from different districts. Although these names seemed ordinary on paper, each represented a unique story – pain of separation, an uncertain future, and a deep yearning to reunite with their own families.
These children were under the care of Saishali Matigadha Children’s Home for Girls in West Bengal and the Hosanna Covenant Charitable Trust in Kalimpong, India. The child care homes had become safe havens for them. There, they attended school, studied, made new friends, and nurtured dreams of the future. Yet every evening, their hearts longed for their own homes. Gazing out of the window at the sky, they would wonder, ‘How is my home now? How much do my parents miss me? Is my grandmother still watching for my footprints?’
Thanks to the sustained coordination and collaboration between the West Bengal government, the Nepalese Consulate General in Kolkata, and Nav Abhiyan Nepal, they were safely repatriated to Nepal. Furthermore, they were successfully reunited with their families. Indra Bahadur Basnet, the regional coordinator of Nav Abhiyan Nepal, confirmed that all legal and administrative procedures had been completed to ensure the children were safely entrusted to their families. Their eyes reflected a mix of emotions – a little fear, great anticipation, and even greater hope. After years, they had finally returned to their own country, their own land, and the warm embrace of their families.
That day was not marked by any grand ceremony. There was no extensive publicity or large crowd. But for these four families, it was the greatest celebration of their lives. It was the day light returned after the darkness of separation. Sometimes, a government letter is not merely an administrative document but can become a bridge mending broken relationships. It can be a means of recovering lost smiles. And a journey of hope that safely brings a child back to the doorstep of their own home.
