Lately, it seems that a decade-long trend is coming to an end.

The flow of Nepali workers flooding to foreign lands in search of better earning opportunities seems to be decreasing. Everyone has been talking about it, but it was only recently that I saw the effects in its entirety. I saw it clearly in the eyes of young Sita. Her dream of becoming a nurse one day was slowly vanishing, like ice-cream melting in the summer heat. The news that her father would be returning from that faraway land was like an asteroid striking the earth to devastate her world. Her ambition was trampled upon and her young heart broke into a million pieces.

Her favourite shoulder to lean on was that of her mother. But her mother Ganga Maya had also just learnt that her husband would no longer be sending money to support the family, and so, today, even her mother was inconsolable. There was no way that they could now afford to send their daughter to the prestigious school that she was going to.

“My daughter’s dreams will be shattered,” she wailed. With that financial burden of the family at the back of her mind, Sita would have a tough time concentrating on her studies. Ganga Maya thought of the shame and embarrassment her daughter would face from her peers when she would have to discontinue her studies.

Sita could not fight back her tears. She blamed her fate. She wanted to take up Biology in high school but now she was not sure if she could even complete her last year of school. The news that her father would be coming back home for good as he had been laid off by the company in a foreign country bit her.

After a few days of brooding, she decided to put on a brave front and confront the predicament that lay ahead of her. She wanted to tell her mother about her anxiety, of her dream coming to an end. No matter how hard life would be, Sita told herself that she was determined. Life was tough. In spite of her positive thoughts, gnawing worries at the pit of her stomach made her shudder. That day she helped her mother clean the house, tidy up the three rooms of their rented flat. As she did so, fearful thoughts also came to her. In her young mind, a battle between positivity and fear broke out.

Her parents had treated her as a young adult but the news brought so much pain in her heart!

The next morning, too, her mind was just as muddled up. At times, her deep faith reassured her, “Sita, you decide where and how you should head!” She tried to be positive and wondered about the future. “Maybe there could be other ways in which her father would be employed again,” she thought to herself. She looked up at the sky and felt that the clouds would fall and suffocate her. Not a drop of hope appeared! She tried to cheer herself and even tried humming a tune, but she was so gravely unhappy.

Later in the day, her Aunt came over. The conversation between her mother and Aunt was overheard by Sita. Her Aunt’s words were filled with utter hopelessness and that rubbed off on her. Losing a job is definitely not the end of the world and many people meet this fate every day, more so these days because of the pandemic. But Sita was only a 14-year-old teenager who still hadn’t faced the many challenges of life. For her, this was a big deal! But Sita just could not smile that particular morning. She was traumatised. She could not breathe properly; she felt dizzy and completely shattered.

I wondered how many teenagers are suffering such traumatic conditions due to the pandemic. Parents should be preparing their children to face life, but should that also include lessons on trauma management? Lack of economic opportunities at home had compelled her father, Bhim Bahadur, to try his luck in Malaysia. Was he prepared to face sudden challenges like being dismissed from his job? Does the school curriculum even include lessons on how to handle emergencies and the accompanying emotional stresses? He had hardly studied up to grade five in his village school.

Earthquake drills are practiced from time to time in many schools these days. Emergency bells ring and everyone calmly gathers in the safe places and are familiar with the necessary safety exercises like taking shelter under the desks, walking calmly to the assigned spots, etc. But no school teaches what to do when a life-altering emergency befalls. Did that small family know what to do in an emergency case? The saying, "For every problem under the sun, there is a solution," is incredibly wise and encouraging. However, it is easier said than done. On most days, Sita is chirpy and her voice can even be heard from the verandah of our house but lately, that has been absent.

Sita needed to complete her schooling in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse. If she couldn’t go to high school, who is to be blamed? If not a trained nurse, with the education she has received so far, Sita one day could still live a happy life with a dignified job. "She will, somehow, manage!" I kept reassuring myself! If her parents had not taught her how to handle traumatic situations, will her strong determination help her to succeed in life in the long run? In this complex, ever-changing world, a young teenager’s dreams can crash easily anytime. Therefore, isn't it a good idea to teach such children, some important life skills? Emotionally strong, physically and mentally healthy children can hold up even the falling sky!

Seeing the urgency of this problem, I looked above and said a little prayer. “Dear God, please shine your light on this thought. May those academicians and policy makers start thinking on these lines.” My heart warmed as I dreamt of that possibility of arming these children with those skills. I got a new surge of energy to carry on with the day and the strength to smile in the present-day testing times.