MEET THE UNATTI FAMILY
THE FACES OF UNATTI
Born into extreme poverty, now shining in the classroom, the leaders of tomorrow.
The Unatti Foundation provides education and housing for eighteen girls from diverse impoverished backgrounds. Let us share their stories with you…
Rostika
Rostika joined the Unatti family at only three years old. Her father had intentionally overdosed while she was still in the womb, and only seven months after giving birth to her, Rostika’s mother disappeared. She was left in the care of her grandparents, a couple working as low-caste shoemakers to support an incredible twelve children. The burden proved too great for Rostika’s grandfather, and nine months ago he hung himself in their home. With Rostika’s grandmother as the sole worker, none of the twelve can afford to attend school and all go hungry often
Nistha
Nistha joined the Unatti home at the age of three. Her father had moved to Malaysia to search for work but three years later he succumbed to a heart attack. The government shipped his body back to Nepal, but three years worth of his savings have not been recovered. Nistha was living with her mother and two siblings in a single-room home, and though her mother finds intermittent work as a manual laborer there is seldom enough money for food and none for education.
Dipika Pariyar was seven years old when she joined the Unatti home. Her father disappeared during her mother’s pregnancy, and her mother followed suit four months after Dipika’s birth, leaving her in the care of her grandparents. Dipika’s lower-caste grandparents are jobless and live in the country outside of Bhaktapur. They have the daunting task of caring for seven other granddaughters and one son. The family can rarely find food and none of the children have ever attended school.
Rostika
Rostika joined the Unatti family at only three years old. Her father had intentionally overdosed while she was still in the womb, and only seven months after giving birth to her, Rostika’s mother disappeared. She was left in the care of her grandparents, a couple working as low-caste shoemakers to support an incredible twelve children. The burden proved too great for Rostika’s grandfather, and nine months ago he hung himself in their home. With Rostika’s grandmother as the sole worker, none of the twelve can afford to attend school and all go hungry often
Nistha
Nistha joined the Unatti home at the age of three. Her father had moved to Malaysia to search for work but three years later he succumbed to a heart attack. The government shipped his body back to Nepal, but three years worth of his savings have not been recovered. Nistha was living with her mother and two siblings in a single-room home, and though her mother finds intermittent work as a manual laborer there is seldom enough money for food and none for education.
Dipika Pariyar was seven years old when she joined the Unatti home. Her father disappeared during her mother’s pregnancy, and her mother followed suit four months after Dipika’s birth, leaving her in the care of her grandparents. Dipika’s lower-caste grandparents are jobless and live in the country outside of Bhaktapur. They have the daunting task of caring for seven other granddaughters and one son. The family can rarely find food and none of the children have ever attended school.
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Rosani Matang joined the Unatti family at the age of ten. Her father had died three years prior due to heart disease and so she lived with her mother in a one-bedroom home with four other siblings. Her family has been lower-caste farmers for many generations, but as they own no land, her mother works as a construction laborer to feed her five children.
Sunita Sintakala was 11 years old when she moved into the Unatti home. Before her arrival, she attended a free government school, which had only managed to educate her to a second-grade level. Her father died six years prior and her mother continues to work as farm laborer to support her extended family of six who all live in a one-room home.
Sumitra
Joining Unatti in 2007, this 3-year-old girl lived with her father, a former tractor driver, who can no longer work after his second bout with tuberculosis. He is not expected to survive. She arrived underweight with permanent nerve damage in her right hand from a faulty injection. Within 45 days of joining our Unatti family, she gained 3 kilos and is slowly beginning to move the fingers on her right hand. Her speech has improved greatly and she is in class JKG (junior kindergarten). Academically, she stands 12th out of 84 students.
Rupali
She was found living alone in the streets of Bhaktapur in very poor condition in 2007, as her mother and father were both mentally ill with grave financial concerns. After Rupali joined us, she quickly gained weight and is showing huge progress in her communication skills. Described as a “very active talker,” she is in JKG and stands 8th out of 84 students.
Sanisha
She joined us in 2007 at 6 years old when she was found in the street, mentally imbalanced after her mother had committed suicide rather than remain in a bad marriage. Sanisha is doing much better, she is in SKG (senior kindergarten) and has earned 4th position among 67 students.
Sapana
She joined us in 2007 at 7 years old, when we found her living with her “mad” father in a dirty alley. For six months, Sapana was one of our biggest challenges as she had a difficult time adjusting to family life and she exhibited wild behavior and aggression toward others. Today, she is thriving, happy, helpful and kind to her sisters. In class 2, she has earned 18th position among 78 students.
Suku Laxmi
Suku joined the Unatti family in 2005, at 6 years old. When we found her, she was washing dishes at a local restaurant in exchange for food. It took her a good 4 months to readjust to life as a child, not a provider, but she is thriving in class 3 and has earned the 8th position among 93 students.
Junu
In 2005, Janu was dirty, malnourished and the family provider, begging for rupees in the Boudha Nath Temple. Once in the Unatti home, she took to school with great enthusiasm and was able to skip a grade, mid-year. She is now in class 3 in the 4th position out of 93 students.
Saroswoti
She was brought to Unatti by her mother in 2002 from a refuge camp in Pokara where they lived with 5 sisters and a brother in very poor conditions. Our house mother describes her as “a very honest and disciplined girl in the house.” Within 3 months of joining the Unatti house, she earned 4th position in JKG. She is now in class 4 and holds 4th position out of 34 students.
In 2002, Punan was 3 and her sister Puja was 4 when we found them in the arms of their mother Sita, who was
unsuccessfully searching for work so she could feed her girls. We took them all in: Sita became helper to the housemother and the two girls joined the Unatti family. Their first year of school showed great promise, with Punan earning 8th position and Puja earning 2nd.
Rita
Until 2007 when she joined the Unatti family, Rita was living in a small hut with her mother. She had dropped out of school to try to help with their financial worries. Her first Unatti school reports were not satisfactory because of her late admission to the new school. But now, she is in class 5 and has earned 9th position among 135 students.
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Sangita
Sangita’s mother brought her to us from Pokhara in 2002. Their extreme poverty had forced Sangita at age 4 to work as a dishwasher in a small restaurant. At 5, she became ill with pneumonia and spent two years in poor health until she joined our Unatti family. She regained her strength with proper medical care and nutrition and in her first year of school she landed in 1st position. After grade 2, her teacher advanced her to grade 4. She is now in class 6 and holds 5th position.
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Shreejana
Also brought to Unatti by her mother in 2002, by the time Shreejana was four, her mother had three different husbands and the small girl was caretaking other children. Four months after Shreejana joined the Unatti family, she earned 8th position in her class. Today, in 29th position in class 6, she is a great oldest sister to all of the Unatti girls.
Sarija
Sarija was born into a farm family. Her father died when she was 12 months old after a life time struggle with drug abuse. Sarija had been living with her mother and 2 other sisters. They had no income and had been scraping by with the food they could grow on their small family field. When Sarija joined the Unatti Family in May 2009 at age 3, we also gave her mother, Sharda, a job as a day helper in the Unatti house. Sharda can now afford a small room where she lives with her two older girls, food and uniforms for them to attend a local government school.
MEET THE ADULTS
Stephanie, Founder and President
A professional photographer, art teacher and social worker, Stephanie runs the foundation.
Photo: with Unatti girls 2011
Ramesh, Director of Operations
In 2002, at the tender age of 26, he quickly became everyone’s big brother and favorite uncle as he created and implemented foundation programs. He manages our finances in Nepal, and he is a true Godsend.
Saroswati, House Mother
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Sita, Second Housemother
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Sharda and , Helpers
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| Rostika | |
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Ramesh, Director of Operations
In 2002, at the tender age of 26, he quickly became everyone’s big brother and favorite uncle as he created and implemented foundation programs. He manages our finances in Nepal, and he is a true Godsend. |