When a mother dies, there is no money left for school.
A mother of three from Austria is helping a Nepalese girl named Tashi break the cycle of poverty.
Is the urge to help in our genes?
My name is Renata Speckl and I have been helping children around the world for over 20 years. I still remember how, during my childhood, my mother would always support sick and disadvantaged children, even though she had very little money herself. I grew up in a modest working-class family in Slovakia. For my mother, sharing what little she had with children she had never even met was second nature. Despite our financial hardships, she never felt that she lacked anything. On the contrary, she felt blessed to help others. This spirit of generosity was instilled in me from an early age. Over the years, I have sponsored several children, and I currently support five across three continents. I arranged these sponsorships through two major aid organizations. We exchange letters and emails, and this summer I plan to visit one of the children, Fabian, in Paraguay.
Then I heard about Tashi. And I knew: I had to help.
About a year and a half ago, I felt a growing desire to help in a more personal and direct way. I searched Google for “street children Nepal” and came across Sahayata. After reading about the meaningful impact of their work, I decided to get involved right away. The wonderful women at Sahayata welcomed me warmly, and before long, I helped purchase a battery for the solar power system in Sundarijal. However, what truly touched my heart was hearing the story of a young girl whose mother had died while giving birth to her sibling. Tragically, the newborn baby also passed away. It is difficult to imagine the pain of such a loss, made even worse by the financial burden of medical transportation and treatment that, despite every effort, could not save their lives.
The family’s situation became so desperate that the father could no longer afford his daughter’s school fees. As a mother of three teenagers—a daughter and two sons who aren’t always particularly enthusiastic about school—I found this especially heartbreaking. Without access to education, a girl like Tashi would face a much greater risk of remaining trapped in poverty. I didn’t hesitate to cover her school fees, not only for the current year but for the years ahead, until she can stand on her own two feet.
When every hour counts, help cannot wait.
I also witnessed the power of direct assistance when Sahayata responded immediately to the devastating floods in Nepal a few weeks ago, raising funds for those affected. There was no unnecessary bureaucracy or delay, just a swift and compassionate response to people in need.
My greatest dream bears my mom’s name.
I cannot imagine a life without helping disadvantaged children. My greatest dream is to establish a children’s village in Nepal that would provide a loving, stable home for 64 street children, cared for by eight substitute mothers. I hope to name this village in honor of my late mother: “Greta – the village of the shining little lights.”
I share this dream with my own children, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead by example. I hope they, too, will carry this spirit of kindness into the next generation and discover the profound joy of giving unconditionally.
