Queridos/as amigos/as
¡¡¡Novedad!!! en nuestro Cultural Center EL NIU FELIÇ – THE KHUSHI NEST de Katmandú (Nepal). Este mes hemos creado nuestro propio periódico El periódico se llama The Khushi Nest Times. Actualizamos el periódico mensualmente con diversas ideas, pensamientos, historias, citas, poemas, etc., de todas las mujeres y personas involucradas en TKN. Todas las mujeres leen el periódico sobre TKN. Eureka lo describe a las mujeres que no saben leer y para aquellas mujeres que pueden leer, tienen un periódico para saber todo lo que sucede en un mes o hasta ahora. Abrirá sus mentes y puede mejorar su alma también.
Con tan buenos propósitos y como estamos de vacaciones, no más escritos y si el deseo de todo nuestro Equipo de que seáis INMENSAMENTE FELICES cada uno de los días que están viniendo.
Cultural Center EL NIU FELIÇ – THE KHUSHI NEST
THE KHUSHI NEST TIMES
DIFFERENT PHASES OF WOMEN
June 25th 2025
Laxmi Maharjan
She is 54 years old from Chamati. She is studying literacy class in TKN, Nepali and Maths. She engaged in Different types of workshop as well. She is happy to come and study but after going back in her house her husband do not respect her in family, do not help her in household thing nor he talked with her which is her very unbearable stage of her life. She do not like going to study in TKN and afraid she will be more clever and brave than him. But she like to come and study here, to get some knowledge and be learned woman. She has a son and a daughter but they did not support her and love her so she take The Khushi nest organization as a family. She shares her problem with teachers of TKN. “She is very happy and much grateful with Maria who is the organization founder; who made a house like her who cannot share her feelings with other but can feel secure in TKN”.
Sita Koirala, 59 years
She is very strong, willpower and self-independent woman. She raise three children in the village. Her husband used to live in city KTM with another woman but she lives in village with her children. She knows but with supportive family members and love; she force to let go her husband. After Kids brought up she came in city with kids; her children fights for the right and equality for their mother although, she did not need it. Her husband do not care and love her during the whole life period with her but she do not want his love, she told us that she is being with him as she is being with him as she is her husband and he is only her family. Her children goes abroad and settled over there but also they love her. She is very much happy to come in TKN and seeing many women having problems are sharing one roof, making friends with books and taking teachers as a family is full of blessed. I am very grateful to Maria, staying far away she helped us to open eyes and be good enough to stand in society.
Laxmi Pahadi
She is 68 years old from Nayabazaar. She is very calm woman. She is not worried about anything. She is happy to come in TKN. She got opportunity to study alphabets, learning many Workshop useful for life being independent; festival celebrations, after sewing or any creative handwork; after doing it, we are also able to receive it which make me happy when I got it. While studying, Women should not judge who is poor or rich; well learned or not literate. We have to treat all equal and similar in any sector even in TKN. I want to thank Maria for all this doings and making us to get many things; all three teachers making more effort in making success and improve TKN far than before. I appreciate all of you and thankful for your dedication for giving us bright future and good knowledge.
Bishnu Devi Maharjan, 73 years
Firstly, I feel lucky and happy as I earned many friends in TKN. I although in this age. I felt like coming here. Teachers for giving such homely environment anything. I want to thank you all the teachers for giving such homely environment like my own family so I did not want to go in my mother’s house as I do have younger brothers. After coming here my mind, soul and my heart belong here, I don’t worry about anything. I want to thank you all teachers and making effort equally to teach us. Thank you Maria so much for this opportunity. Since childhood I got freedom, I went the places, I dance, people told my parents I am very clever and brave but at 14 years old I got married and my husband is totally opposite of mine. He does not speak much, she does not know she got married, she plays with her husband like friends but after 2/3 years passed, I came to realize that he is my husband. I need lots of household to do, and need to take care of laws. I feel I have being surrounded by responsibilities. At the age of 16 she gave birth to daughter. She endured a lot of pain. She endured many obstacles in her house and she build herself strong willpower. She likes to do meditation and she seems always happy and face is always smiling.
Shanti Maharjan
I am the Nepali teacher of TKN. I want to write about”THE REALITY OF MENSURATION IN RURAL NEPAL” In many villages across Nepal, women and girls are sent to separate places during menstruation. Sometimes it’s a shed, sometimes a dark corner of the house or the animal barn. They are told not to touch others, not to enter the kitchen, not to pray. They are considered “impure.” In some families, they cannot even drink water from the same pot. This might seem like an old tradition that will fade with time. But to the women living it, this is their normal. Girls as young as 11 are taught to feel ashamed of their bodies. During their periods, they sleep alone, often without warm bedding, exposed to snakes, insects, or the cold. Some miss school. Some get sick. Some, tragically, have even lost their lives. What hurts most is that this practice is often enforced not by strangers, but by mothers and grandmothers — women who care deeply but are trapped in tradition. They do not mean harm. They simply believe what they were taught: that menstrual blood offends the gods, and breaking these rules will bring misfortune. And so, they teach their daughters the same. “Don’t touch the water tap.” “Don’t go near the temple.” “Don’t eat this.” “Sleep there.” The instructions sound like protection, but they feel like rejection. This is not just a women and issue — it is a human issue. It is about how we treat people during their most vulnerable times. No girl should feel unsafe because of something her body naturally does. No woman should feel like a burden once a month. The law in Nepal has banned the practice, but the law alone cannot change belief. The real change must come through education, empathy, and conversation. We must teach young boys to respect menstruation. We must show families that dignity and health matter more than superstition. Some things are slowly changing. In some villages, the younger generation is speaking up. Local organizations are building awareness, creating safe spaces, and encouraging parents to break the cycle. These are small steps, but powerful ones.
This is a one of the nice drawing done by TKN woman in spring season; handmade fabric flower which seem to be very beautiful.
Urika Pradhan
I want to share a poem written by me;
Me and my Khushinest
With so many meanings and meanings
A poignant life is becoming a knot
With a source of social inspiration
Women are being engaged in awakening work.
Me and my khushi nest
This is not a dream of one night
It is a story of a day and night
The dream of all of us, the natives and
A gift given by the foreigner Maria.
Me and my khushi nest
When I write words with trembling hands
In the mud
My chest fills up and my heart burns
When I see the struggle and pain of women
Me and my khushi nest
I saw one new story after another
What is there to do but cry and endure
I saw trapped in a group
I saw a mental illness
I and my happiness
I became a friend Maria
To sow the bright seeds of education
In the hearts of crying women
She made a nest of education
I and my happiness
Forgetting the nights that come after days
We are filling the burdens of responsibility
We are exploring the present of new days
We are lighting the light of women’s education for the future…
Khema (Sadikshya) Shrestha,
I am working in this organization being 15 years now, till the searching for the Khushi nest building; making 4000plus women literate and able to give opportunity to women with many different and varieties of workshops being 4 years now. I am very much proud of being guardian to women and employee of Our Founder Maria. Every year we are planning to make better than last year in study. Making women happy by giving education, making them self-independent, self-confident, and many more positive things. I want to make it better place and capable of showing their skills and talent in future. For women TKN is a home Founder Maria is a head of the family and we three teachers are the family members. All have equal importance to rule the TKN. It is a home where they can share their problems, sorrow, their good part of life, enjoys every festival, cooking in feast, visiting in many historical places and much more.
I am very amazed with unique activities idea given by Our Founder Maria like celebrating easter egg painting, celebrating Christmas with Pessebre, batik workshop, and explaining to women her thoughts.
I want to share some life-changing quotes to inspire and motivation;
On Success and Perseverance;
The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
On Change and Growth:
«Change your thoughts and you change your world.
«To improve is to change; to be perfect is to
«We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.» –
«Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.
On Happiness and Positivity:
«Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
«Happiness depends upon ourselves.
«Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.
«The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
«What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.
MARIA VILLALBA BADIA
I want to share some quotes and the name of person who wrote it,
—–«CULTURE IS THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY POLITICAL OPTION IN THE LONG TERM»
(Montserrat Roig)
—–«LIVE LIFE AS IF NO ONE IS WATCHING AND EXPRESS YOURSELF AS IF EVERYONE IS LISTENING»
(Nelson Mandela)
—–«I’M NOT HURT BY THE ACTS OF BAD PEOPLE, I’M HURT BY THE INDIFFERENCE OF GOOD PEOPLE»
(Martin Luther King)
—–«TEARING DOWN AND DESTROYING IS VERY EASY, HEROES ARE THOSE WHO BUILD AND WORK FOR PEACE»
(Nelson Mandela)
—–«THE GREATEST MERIT IS NOT TO SAY WORDS BUT TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THEM»
(John F. Kennedy)
The End…
Recibid un Gran, Fuerte y Cálido Abrazo.
(continuará…
Maria Villalba Badia
Fundadora y Directora