Meet Rejina, an HIO Rising Star

Rejina Moote is studying social work while working at Om Home, serving children with disabilities. She’s truly an inspiration for us all.

Dear Friends,
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I’m recently back from a busy trip to Kathmandu. It’s the beginning of the Nepali school year, a wonderful time to visit with our HIO girls and their mothers. One drizzly morning in the dusty city I was delighted to visit with Rejina Moote, an inspiring young woman currently studying in her third year of a Bachelor’s in Social Work program.
Rejina attends classes from 6:30-10:30 am. She goes to work after school, as many of our older girls do. Rejina feels fortunate to have found a job in her field three years ago. She teaches at Om Home, an NGO that serves children with disabilities. I met with Rejina during a big gathering of HIO mentors and mentees to share a letter from her loving sponsors, Roberley Bell and Jim Morris. With a twinkle in her eye, she invited me to visit her at work, and we arranged to meet the next day.

Rejina is dedicated to her mother, Renuka, a recent graduate of HIO’s Be Part of Her Dream women’s empowerment program who serves as a role model for new BPOHD students.

It rained overnight so Rejina texted to make sure we were still on. I grabbed an umbrella and said sure, why not? The taxi ride was longer and steeper than I anticipated so we had plenty of time to chat. Rejina told me that she and her mother worry about her brother, who's quit school and is causing some trouble. Though her father abandoned the family and now lives in his faraway village, he’s still her father, so she sometimes keeps in touch. She's proud of what she’s accomplishing, and frustrated by her poor living conditions. She, her mother and brother have gotten by in a tiny rented room with little light and few furnishings for years. She’s determined to make a better life and dreams of buying a house for her mother someday. She’s saving money from her salary to make her dreams a reality.

After rounding a few tight curves and passing some wheat fields, Rejina asked the driver to stop near a small snack stand. We tightened our hoods, and she pointed to a blue, three-story building at the top of a hill. Let's go! I was grateful for Rejina's calm demeanor and outstretched hand as we slid our way up the mud-covered road and scrambled over a few grassy rocks toward the entrance.

The 25 children Rejina works with at Om Home are orphaned. Many have physical disabilities. Some are autistic. All are loved.

​There was no mistaking how much Rejina is loved at the children’s home from the moment we walked in the door. She first introduced me to Aaravi, a caretaker preparing lunch. Rejina had encouraged Aaravi to enroll her daughter in HIO’s early learning center near her home. Networking such as this, initiated by HIO girls like Rejina, is key to strengthening our community in Kathmandu. We climbed the stairs to the main hall, where several residents gathered with a teacher for singing. A physical therapist worked with a boy with cerebral palsy on a mat in the far corner. Someone turned up the radio and we all began dancing. Oh, how Nepalis love to dance!
Rejina brought me to the top floor, where we caught a misty view of the city. She reflected on her days as an HIO girl - the strong friendships she’s made and the hard work she has done. How grateful she is for Roberley and Jim’s support over more than a decade. After waving goodbye to Rejina and the children, I met our taxi driver and descended back to the city along rutted roads and busy streets to our learning center. It was was hard to imagine Rejina navigating this 40-minute journey alone on her scooter twice each day. Her commitment to the well-being of the children she cares for is so deep.

My morning with Rejina was a beautiful reminder of the goodness that's left in the world. It’s an immense privilege to serve such a kind, dedicated community that's focused on lifting people up. So many thanks to YOU, our dear HIO sponsors and donors, for your belief in the power of education. Each hardworking girl like Rejina is building HIO’s capacity to impact thousands of lives in Nepal. What a gift!
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With deep gratitude - Laura