your sponsored child, as the majority of the children Buddhist, and 8 percent are followers of or other do not know enough English to write a letter. Those . who do not know English will be assigned community To , is the creator, preserver, and workers and volunteers who will explain your letters and destroyer of the universe, according to ’s help the children compose their responses. sacred text, the Padma Purana. His most important task Here are a few phrases that you might want to use is the preservation of the divine order—the , in your correspondence with your sponsored child: which is the natural harmony existent in all things. Timro nam ke ho? In Hinduism, all experience is taken into the next life What is your name? as karma. People with negative karma will end up in Timro umer kati ho? a humble position in the next life; people with good What is your age? karma will hold a high position. Timro school ko ke ho? In its purest form, is a way of life. The What is your school’s name? Buddha was not a god but a teacher. Buddhists achieve liberation from all sorrow—nirvana—through Holidays meditation. In nirvana, it is believed that all passion, hatred, and delusion die out and that the soul is Celebrations are very important to your sponsored child released from the body. Buddhism emphasizes five and family. regimens: striving not to kill, not to steal, not to engage Population 27.5 million April 24 Democracy Day in sexual misconduct, not to speak falsehoods, and not Capital City to use drugs. April 14 Official Language Nepali Nepali New Year are followers of Islam. Islam is an Arabic Per Capita Income US$700/year November 9 word meaning “submission to the will of Allah (God).” Chhath Parwa Muslims believe that Allah’s will was revealed to the Youth Literacy Rate 89% male/77% female December 28 prophet Muhammad more than 14 centuries ago Access to Safe Water 91% urban/87% rural King’s Birthday and was captured in the Islamic holy book, the Koran (Qur’an). Together with the Sunnah, a collection of Under 5 Mortality Rate 42/1,000 live births sayings attributed to Muhammad, these texts provide in Nepal Source: The State of the World’s Children 2014 (UNICEF) a firm basis for religious and social life for all Muslims, Eighty-one percent of the Nepalese population are including rules for diet, dress, hygiene, and more. Hindu. About 11 percent of the population are

Additional sources include the CIA World Factbook and State Department websites. Nepal is a country in south-central Asia roughly the size of Illinois that has been called “The Top of the World.” Nepal is home to the Himalayan mountain range that contains 13 of the Plan International USA is part of a global organization that works side by side with communities in 50 developing countries to world’s highest mountains, including Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest). However, mountainside end the cycle of poverty for children. We develop solutions community by community to ensure long-term sustainability. Our farms barely produce enough for livelihood. Faced with the challenge of survival amidst level of community engagement, long-term outlook, and constant focus on the needs and priorities of children is unique among international development organizations. Our solutions are designed up-front to be owned by the community for generations to this fantastic scenery, the Nepalese people have developed a pride in themselves and their come, and range from clean water and health-care programs to education projects and child-protection initiatives. environment. Monsoon winds from southern Asia bring rain from June to September. Temperatures vary greatly in Nepal due to differing elevations and seasons. The Himalayan Promising Futures, Plan International USA Community by Community 155 Plan Way • Warwick, RI 02886 mountains are true testimonies to the harsh climate and temperatures of the region. 1-800-556-7918 • planusa.org A Brief History piped water supply systems, enhancing community capacity, managing services, and promoting the Throughout the centuries, bands of conquerors, treatment of drinking water. In addition, we facilitate nomads, and refugees from central Asia, India, and sanitation campaigns led by children and the community Tibet came into the area now known as Nepal. These to keep the environment healthy and clean. people were the ancestors of the Nepalese. In mid- 1770, a king named Prithwi Narayan Shah Basic education began a military campaign to unify the country. By the time of his death in 1775, he had conquered most of This program helps to increase access to basic the area of Nepal. He took the title King of Nepal, and education, and we focus on enrolling more girls in his descendants have served as monarchs ever since. school and providing them with scholarships to continue During the late 1840s, a political leader named Jang their education. We also work with the government Bahudur Kunwar seized control of Nepal’s government. to develop learning materials and curricula that are He took the honorary title of Rana and declared that a sensitive to local contexts. The main activities under development of child-protection systems, policies, and miles of railroad and very few paved highways, making member of his family would serve as prime minister— this program are supporting early childhood care and procedures. transportation of market goods as well as large-scale rendering the king and his family powerless. During development centers; providing training to teachers; trade difficult. the 1930s and 1940s, great opposition grew toward and supporting schools to have better infrastructure. Child-centered disaster risk the Rana rule in Nepal, which ended in 1951 due to management Ethnic Diversity a massive revolution. Until 1990 the country had a Household economic security single-party system with active leadership from the Plan works jointly with children, communities, staff, and The Nepalese people are descendants of three major king. A popular democratic movement then established We encourage disadvantaged families to engage in partners in times of natural and human-made disasters. migrations from India, Tibet, and Central Asia. In a multiparty democratic system, making the king a agroforestry, fisheries, and vegetable and goat farming. We ensure that health, education, and other essential addition to the Brahmans and Chertris, whose ancestors constitutional monarch. Plan provides vocational-skills training that can help services are capable of addressing the needs of children came from India, there are many ethnic groups from support rural cooperatives and self-reliant groups. This when disasters strike. More specifically, we work to Central Asia and Tibet. The Gurungs and live program includes creating financial services for the Plan’s strategy in Nepal covers five develop a model for the government to adopt with its in the west; Rais and Limbus in the east; Sherpas in poorest and most marginalized households, especially the north; and Tharus in the south. The Hindu caste core areas: own child-centered disaster risk management policies women who are not reached by traditional microfinance and practices. system is still very important in Nepal, especially in Health, water, sanitation, and hygiene organizations. For high-risk women, including survivors rural agricultural communities. Although the law of the Basic education of violence, women rescued from trafficking, and those Economic Security country declares that castes no longer exist, people Household economic security who are vulnerable, we operate special programs for still adhere to the centuries-old system by which every Child protection their rehabilitation and reintegration into families. The depends almost entirely on person has a prescribed position in society. Child-centered disaster risk management farming; about 91 percent of the total population Child protection derive their livelihood from agriculture and related Language Health, water, sanitation, and activities. Nepalese farmers attend small fairs and hygiene Plan helps to implement programs that protect markets to trade their surplus crops. In addition, Almost two-thirds of the population speak Nepali. children’s rights, particularly the elimination of child two-thirds of the national income is derived from the Nepali is traditionally spoken in the Hill Region of Plan Nepal works to reduce maternal and neonatal labor, -based violence, child marriage, human agriculture sector. The main agricultural crops are rice, Nepal, especially in the western part of the country. mortality rates through formation of Pregnant trafficking, and sexual abuse and exploitation. This maize (corn), wheat, potato, and oil seeds. Tobacco Though Nepal Bhasa was the dominant language in the Women’s Groups and by establishing, equipping, program includes preventive interventions, awareness- is also an extremely important cash crop. Another , Nepali is now used in government and staffing birthing centers and by training health raising, community-protection groups, and life-skills major foreign currency earner is the carpet and textile and as the everyday language of a growing portion workers, particularly in rural areas. Plan also focuses on education for children at risk. We also promote and business. More than 3 million people are employed in of the local population. It is very likely that you will supporting the construction of community-managed strengthen birth registration systems and support the this sector. Unfortunately, Nepal has fewer than 100 encounter a language barrier in communicating with