• Explainers
  • Features
  • Longreads
  • Perspectives
  • Podcast
  • Photo Essays
  • Newsletter
  • Write for Us
  • Donate
LOGIN DASHBOARD

Videos

3 MIN READ

A new beginning

Robic Upadhyay And Ashwin Sharma, November 29, 2018, Kathmandu

A new beginning

    Share this article

Rohingya refugees in Nepal strive for a better future

(The Record)

The tragedy in Myanmar continues to unfold. A mass exodus of refugees followed after the Myanmar government started violently persecuting the Rohingyas, a minority Muslim community. The grim images of burning villages in Myanmar, refugees making treacherous journey to Bangladesh made international headlines, yet this has not stopped the Myanmar government from what the UN calls a genocide led by military generals. The atrocities against Rohingyas continued even after Aung San Suu Kyi, once a freedom fighter and darling of the international community, came into power. She stands accused of remaining silent and doing nothing as crime against humanity took place in her country.

Many are aware of the Tibetan or Bhutanese refugees in Nepal but very few know that there is a small community of Rohingya refugees concealed behind Kapan hill in the outskirts of Kathmandu. The first group of refugees arrived as early as 2012; who sent the word back to those fleeing the latest persecution in Myanmar that Nepal was a safe bet. The number of Rohingya refugees living in the Kapan camp was already at 147 according to UNHCR before the crackdown in Myanmar started, the number has risen to around 300 with a few adding up almost every month.

These refugees survive on a meager income by  working as carpenters and plumbers to afford basic amenities of life. This story is not about the hardships faced by the Rohingya refugees, however. It is about hope and optimism through the eyes of children in the community.

 

This documentary  is about a man who despite facing the adversities, decided to change something for the benefit of the community. He had set up a small classroom for the children of the Rohingya Muslims within the camp premises around a year back where they can learn to read and write before they can join the formal education in Nepal.

Going to school provides them with a sense of normalcy and a place to process the experienced traumas. It also provides them with the best chance for a fulfilling future. When we visited the camps, we realized the school to be only cheerful part of the settlement. The kids would willingly interact with outsiders unlike the grownups who still seem to be a little skeptical of strangers.

The older students who could recall the memories in their home country desired to go back. One of the students lamented, "We had trees of different fruits like mangoes and bananas back home, even a large ground where we could play and run. Here, all we have is the small congested camps we live in."


By Robic Upadhyay and Ashwin Sharma

:::

We welcome your comments. Please write to us at letters@recordnepal.com. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more short docs. 



author bio photo

Robic Upadhyay And Ashwin Sharma  Ashwin Sharma is a photographer. He is currently studying media studies in Darjeeling. Robic Upadhayay is a Kathmandu based photographer. He is currently affiliated with Jazz Productions.



Comments

Get the best of

the Record

Previous Next

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

COVID19

News

3 min read

Covid19 Roundup, 26 May: Cases spike to 772 as migrants continue to pour in from India

The Record - May 26, 2020

A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter

Perspectives

22 min read

The reality of transgender rights in Nepal

Queer Youth Group And Queer Rights Collective - September 25, 2020

There is still a need for an extensive overhaul of the law and the language of the law in order to address the inequalities faced by the trans and broader PoMSOGIESC community in Nepal

Features

8 min read

The untouchability virus

Rajendra Maharajan - June 26, 2020

How apologists for untouchability are using the pandemic’s social-distancing rules as proof that societal notions of purity have merit

Features

13 min read

The long, elusive wait for justice

Tufan Neupane - November 24, 2020

For the victims of war-era atrocities to whom Nepal has continually shown an unwillingness to deliver justice, a bleak future awaits

Perspectives

10 min read

Nepal’s turn away from representative democracy

George Varughese , Sushav Niraula - June 20, 2021

Political parties are fundamental in a democracy but they desperately need reform if they are to be accountable -- and representative of -- society at large.

News

4 min read

Abuse and physical violence for frontline health care workers

Ishita Shahi - May 28, 2021

In two separate incidents in recent times, frontline workers have been assaulted and beaten up by relatives of patients.

COVID19

Opinions

5 min read

Shame on you, PM!

Roshan Sedhai - April 19, 2020

Oli’s reputation has deteriorated alongside his questionable decisions as the nation’s premier

Features

7 min read

After a suspicious death and rapes, a climate of fear in Sangarshanagar

Peter Gill - January 28, 2021

Two years after Pramila Tharu was found dead in a forest in Bardiya’s Sangarshanagar, local women continue to live in fear

  • About
  • Contributors
  • Jobs
  • Contact

CONNECT WITH US

© Copyright 2025 the Record | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

×