Like many of the children with ServLife, Rita’s story is a complex mix of tragedy and hope. She comes from a Hindu family of six in rural Nepal. While they are members of a high caste, life was never easy for them. Her father would travel to India to find work, making enough to provide for the family, but not enough to pay Rita’s school fees. These hardships multiplied when both her father and mother were diagnosed with AIDS. Their community largely rejected the family, removing social support from an already fragile household. Eventually, they could not afford to pay for her father’s treatment. Without medication, his health grew increasingly worse, tragically leading to his death.

With the family in emotional and financial turmoil, Rita’s oldest brother made the decision to drop out of school and work at a restaurant to provide income. The condition of her mother was quickly deteriorating, leaving no one to care for Rita. Her brother made the difficult choice to bring Rita to ServLife’s Kathmandu home where she could receive the care and education the family could never afford. Sadly, Rita’s mother passed away not long after she came to ServLife.

While Rita’s story is filled with tragedy, it is also filled with hope: hope for a better future. Since coming to ServLife, she has excelled academically and socially. When she first arrived, she was shy and unsure of herself. As she received love from her new family, she became vibrant and outgoing. Now in the seventh grade, she loves math and reading. One day, she hopes to put her education to use as a teacher, showing children the love and care that has changed her life.

You can help give children like Rita hope for a brighter future by sponsoring a child.