“What stays with me is the kids running to my room every day in the morning - their faces and smiles.” Gwen Straley recently returned from six months volunteering with Nepal RugMark Foundation, yet the images of the children remain fresh in her mind.

A student at Hampshire College focusing on “Global Sustainable Development,” Gwen lived alongside RugMark’s children tracking their growth and documenting their stories as part of her senior thesis. During her stay, she developed a close bond with a former ‘carpet kid’ named Thila.

When discussing her past in a village in Sindu Palchowk, 10 year-old Thila’s face is covered in sadness. Her father used to beat her mother and on at least one occasion, Thila and her three sisters were the victims as well. Thila doesn’t remember how old she was on the night her mother disappeared from home, but she has not seen her since.

Thila’s father eventually took her and her siblings to live with an “auntie” in Kathmandu who worked in a carpet factory. Thila was forced to do domestic work as well as weave rugs. When interviewed by Gwen earlier this year, Thila depicted her time in the factory as ‘scary’ and recalled being hit by a co-worker. She never received compensation for her labor, although she wanted desperately to provide for her younger sisters.

A RugMark inspector identified Thila on November 30, 2006. Thila told Gwen she ‘felt safe coming to RugMark and was excited to receive the opportunity to study.’ For all the children Gwen met during her stay, “RugMark provides a new environment that includes the culture of education, an atmosphere of safety, and a different form of family.”

Today, Thila dreams of becoming a thulo manche, a Nepali expression for someone who is dignified and respected. To Gwen and everyone at RugMark, she is already that.

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