Nisu and Nisan

Nisu and Nisan
Kathmandu, 2003

I met these two siblings walking along one of the main roads in Kathmandu. Since they weren’t in front of their house, I asked where they lived so I could come by a few days later with their photo. Nisan pointed off to the distance saying the name of an area. Though I tried repeatedly, this is one of the few photos where I was never able to find the people again.

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Bahini descending a ladder

Bahini descending a ladder
Tupche, 2000

While walking through Tupche, I happened to see this young girl as she was about to step down a ladder.

From the location of her families' house, the view from that second-story upper window must’ve looked out upon the steep verdant hill that lines Tupche’s west border.

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Students play

Students playing
Uttargaya Secondary English Board School, Betrawati, autumn of 2000

A few of my students play a dancing game of their own creation.

The game is played by standing in a circle, with each child putting one foot out behind them, and resting it behind the knee of the child next to them.

(Serika, the tallest in the photo, described it as "making a web just by putting in one leg")

They then would then sing a song and clap along, hopping and turning-as-a-group on their remaining feet.

I just messaged Serika to see if the game had a name, but she said it didn't—so I think we’re going to call it “The Serika”.

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Now fifteen years later, Serika is a talented photographer and sent me some portraits that she has taken recently.

I have included them below:

(images copyright Serika Thapa)

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Baklu, Serika’s nephew

"His real name is Subhan but everyone calls him Baklu."

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Anubhav and a friend

"That guy with guitar is my brother Anubhav."

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Sapana

Serika’s friend Sapana playing a card game called Judh Patti during the festival season. 

Sapana’s name means dream in Nepali.

Santoshi, Rabin and Mira

Santoshi, Rabin and Mira
Manamaiju, Kathmandu, Friday, January 17th, 2003

Walking home one day through Manamaiju, I noticed of a house a bit off of the path, but partially-hidden behind a tall hedge of foliage. I investigated by taking a few steps off of the main path. There I met Mira, 9, her little brother Rabin, 8, and their friend Santoshi, 14.

You can tell that it’s January and the cold is still hiding in the air; 
Santoshi wearing her winter coat over her kurta,
Mira with the flaps of her warm cholo over-shirt tied tight.

I love Rabin’s easy pose in this photo; he’s all business.

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Mother with baby and son on porch

Mother with baby and son on porch
Tupche 2000

In a house above a small shop, a proud mother feeds her youngest son.

Down below people may be sharing news, buying white plastic bags of cooking oil, large bricks of Puja soap. If not helping in the fields, girls may be skipping rope, boys playing Carrom board, small children trailing empty plastic bags behind them like kites.

Although it lies just across a suspension bridge from Betrawati, I didn't get to Tupche more than a few times. It's a spread of terraced rice fields with a few clumps of houses and shops peppered here and there. To get from here to there you zigzag your way on the raised dike/walls that separate the fields. After the rice has been harvested children can play in the dry stubbly fields.

When I revisited Tupche two years later I walked by the house and the father, who I had not met previously, stopped me to thank me for this photo.

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I had been kneeling down on the porch to take the first photo; when I turned around I took this second photo.

Suntahli, Somjana and Lakshmi

Suntahli, Somjana and Lakshmi, a mother and her daughters,
Betrawati 2003

One of the reasons I love this this photo is—notice the natural placement of everyones hands—how it wordlessly just tells you so much about their love for each other.

If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

If you would like to donate to UNICEF’s Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.