Introduction
Namaste! My name is Bhesraj Neupane. I live in the small town of Damak, in the Jhapa district of Nepal. It’s a special place, situated in the eastern plains (what we call the Terai) and located
south of the foothills of the Himalayas. Most people work in the agricultural business, and while our town often lacks electricity and our citizens work hard for little money, we are a tight-knit community and we value the importance of studying hard, working
hard and living well.
Books saved my life
When I was 18 years old, I fell from the balcony on the second floor of my home and landed on my back. I sustained a spinal cord injury from the fall, and when I became conscious a few days later, I was told some terrible
news — I would never be able to walk again. Those words sounded so unreal to me. Like other people whose lives change instantly because of a split-second accident, I became angry at life, and very depressed. I remember thinking what a hopeful and happy person
I was before the injury, and I wondered where that hope had gone, and why it had left me.
While I was in the hospital, a friend gave me a book to read and it really changed my life. As I read, I realized that despite my condition, I was still fortunate to be able to read. I started to ask my family, friends and
neighbors to bring books when they visited me, and by the end of my hospital stay, I had read nearly 200 books. Reading really helped ease my pain, not by allowing me to escape it, but by making me realize that I still had value—that I could still contribute
something to this world.
Because of books, I had completely changed my view on life. I realized that I could still pursue my studies and complete my education, which I’m doing now. And with more than 200 books, I thought that I could do something
for my community as well. Since my family, friends and neighbors had done so much for me in the darkest days of my life, I wanted to “pay it forward” and help others.
Building a library… out of my family’s home.
When I was in the hospital, I realized that there was no place for people in my town to access books or even newspapers for free. So with the books I had collected in the hospital, I talked to my family and friends about
my desire to start the town’s first public library. Because my extended family had spent a lot of money on my various hospital stays, I had no resources to realistically start a library, except for the books I had. It was then that I asked my parents if we
could start the library in our home.
With their encouragement and support, we cleaned out one of the three rooms in our house, and I began the long process of getting the library ready. I asked friends for more donated books and asked community members to donate
things like bookshelves. I then organized a committee of people from different sectors of the community who also liked the idea of establishing a public library. We formed an official organization on June 28, 2012 and officially opened the Damak Public Library
at the end of last year. Although it’s a small library, it’s a place where the community can go to read, meet other people and share ideas.
A dream realized… but a larger space and more resources needed.
The library has been very well received by the community, and since our opening, we have more than 50 visitors coming every day. We are also taking an active part in the community, sponsoring a wide range of events and competitions
to help promote the wealth of our talent right here, including authors, artists, educators and young people as well. We would also like to start a scholarship program for talented students who have completed Grade 10 but do not have the financial resources
to continue their higher secondary education.
Based on feedback from our users, we’ve realized that we need a larger and more central space for the library, as well as computers, additional books and other educational materials so that we can better meet the needs of
the community. I’m glad that we were able to launch the library in my own home, but given the limited space and the fact that I live some distance from the main street, it would benefit all if we could move. This is why we have started this fundraising campaign
called “Books for a Brighter Tomorrow.” A library is one of the most important assets a town can have, and we really appreciate your support in making ours the best it can be.
