Seeing Change – Nepal

Seeing Change – Kathmandu, Nepal

Above the narrow streets of Kathmandu, a young Nepali girl watches a throng of tourists swarm by below her window. Once a relatively isolated Hindu monarchy, Nepal has seen seismic changes in the last 60 years, influenced in part by exposure to visitors from around the world. Tourists flock to the diminutive country both for the forbidding mountains and friendly culture. A decade of political unrest, however, dampened Nepal’s appeal as an international destination. Beginning in 1996, a civil war culminating in pro-democracy movements, led to the end of the monarchy and the declaration of Nepal as a secular democratic republic. Steady economic and social development is apparent in the creation of schools, growing from a paltry 300 in 1951 to over 49,000 today, helping Nepal’s children see a bright future.