“Don’t worry! I will get you food from our kitchen. Wait for a while…” said our mum to a pregnant lady who came to our food distribution during the pandemic in 2021.
Our mum has a big heart. When she and my dad first came to the city, they struggled hard. Living in a small room apartment, it was hard to make ends meet. So, when the pandemic struck and the Nepalese government imposed month’s long lockdown, she thought of those struggling living in tiny rooms. We have a carpet factory nearby and she thought of those factory workers and how they must be finding it hard with no job, being stuck in a tiny room or two and the hardships that came along with having children during such times.
So, along these conversations within families, we managed to get support from the neighbourhood, local government and an organization called Peace First to distribute food relief to these workers. With the approval and Covid safety guidelines, we distributed food packages. Our extended family; our uncle and aunt also participated and reached 22 families. Every one of us worked together, from packing to logistics to distribution to safety. We felt close and it was a good day for us all to remember.
“We were able to provide some help to these struggling. We are very happy”, said our uncle, while our mother was happy and proud for what we did together as a family. It was a day well spent. Our family volunteerism and help brought us all together and we are all thankful to it.
- Amir Lama, Nepal
Empathy and a heart to help to help others in need is a gift of humanity. When parents show their children the values of empathy and compassion, these values translate into a life long lesson. Amir’s family volunteerism inspired from his mother’s empathy is truly a wonderful story. Such family stories of service inspires us. If you would like to share one and/or be a part of the Family Volunteers for Peace (FVP) initiative, please contact: younshim.park@globalpeacewomen.org