“I sold my house and business and moved to Nepal to give back to these amazing people. It was a tough decision, but boy, have I been rewarded for it. Now, Nepal is my home.” I had the pleasure of catching up with inspiring, local hero, Steve Beatty who founded ‘We all Rotate’ in Nepal, after the 2015 Earthquake. It’s a charity whose main aim is to sponsor children through school in Kathmandu.
“There are about 65 children who we sponsor. I meet with their families and we form relationships. These relationships include the sponsors who get to see monthly videos; starting with meet the family at home, to the students proudly talking about their report cards. There are many children who need sponsorship but we want to focus on quality and place these students in to good private schools where we can. Most of the students come from families where there has been the loss of a loved one or illness. It is such a relief for the family to know that someone is providing education for their child.
“Sponsors are coming from all over the globe but 60-70% come from our Geelong region. We are very grateful to them and Sacred Heart who support ‘We all Rotate’ in Year 7. You may not be able to help as a sponsor but if you follow us and share our posts this is a huge help. @We All Rotate
“We are also going in to schools and running sexual harassment awareness programs. This has evolved as the schools have got to know us and see a need. Our partners have rescued 5 girls and once they come to Kathmandu for rehab and recovery, we will be in charge of looking after their schooling and hostel needs. We will be looking for sponsors for them shortly.
“In Geelong there is a dedicated team making dignity packs and we’re about to take 300 of these in to remote areas. We have a team of young girls who educate the youths there. Although it is now illegal to banish girls who are menstruating there have been 5 deaths of girls due to this practice, just recently. We’ve still got a long way to go.
“There are so many stories that I can share, but I’ll share two. In January, Amrit, Muscular Dystrophy sufferer, received his new brace, thanks to two amazing sponsors. He’d been struggling to support his own weight while sitting, causing all sorts of problems. His father used to carry him to school but sadly, he’s passed away. As Amrit spends his days sitting in the tiny tin home alone, I’m getting him a tablet to keep his mind occupied and I try to visit often. My days are filled with visiting students.
“Jhuma, is a 13-year old girl from far east Nepal. She was brought all the way to Kathmandu, where we paid for a successful life changing operation. A growth at the base of her spine was threatening her ability to walk in the future and was causing total incontinence. The operation only went ahead because our supporters very quickly came to her aid and within a week of raising the amount needed, the operation took place.
“Everything I do is for the love of it, it’s voluntary, I live simply and delight in what we are achieving. Please follow and share stories from @We All Rotate.” At https://humansingeelong.com/2016/09/23/we-all-rotate-nepal-steven/ You can catch up on the earthquake tragedy that lead to Steve’s new direction in life and his passion.
Story: Jacqui Bennett. Photos: supplied by Steve Beatty.
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