Adjusting to Change

In 21, New Zealand journalists Rebecca Todd and Kirk Hargreaves travelled to Nepal and visited Sanischare and Beldangi II, two of seven camps that housed 1, Bhutanese refugees for two decades. Todd and Hargreaves met three families waiting to leave for New Zealand, the Magars, the Odaris, and the Subbas. They spoke to them of their troubled past, the wasted present, and the hopeful future. In the following months, they visited them in their new homes in the suburbs of Christchurch. The Weekend Press ran a special on the Bhutanese refugees in April 21, excerpts of which are reproduced in this Nepali Times article. The women are enrolled in English classes and the children in local schools. Adjusting to change and life in New Zealand comes easily to most children, but older family members can struggle. “It should be like home here because I have no home,” says Chiniawati. “I left Bhutan, I’m still new here, maybe after I settle in my new home I will be happy.”