Better

In spite of being one of the poorest countries in South Asia, Nepal has a vibrant and
diverse culture.

Poverty in Nepal is extremely different than poverty in the United States. The United

States government has programs that help poor families survive such as welfare, food stamps

and low rent houses. However, Nepalese government does not have any programs to

provide assistance to poor families. Poor families in Nepal are forced to beg others in the streets

or work as servants in order to survive.

Karma Gurung grew in a very poor family. His family could not always afford food and

sometimes would have to beg others in the streets for food.

"I was not able to attend school right away. My father made go on the streets and beg for

a job or food so that my family can eat," Gurung said.

Many children are not able to attend school because they are forced to work at a young

age. Children are forced to work in harsh conditions for low wages, beg in the streets, or steal.

Most households have little or no access to basic services such as: health care, education, clean

drinking water and restrooms.

Nepal is a land locked country located in southern Asia, between India and China.

According to an article written in WebBank, Nepal is the poorest country in South Asia and

ranks as the twelfth poorest country in the world. However, poverty does not have a big impact

on Nepal's culture.

Nepalese culture is influenced by its architecture and religion. Nepal's architecture

brings in hundreds of tourists to visit their famous parks and temples each year.

A vital part of Nepalese culture is religion. The main religion that many practice in Nepal

is Hinduism. According to an article written in the Associated Content, Hinduism has

become the world's third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam and has over 900 followers.

Hinduism is considered the oldest organized religion and consists of hundreds of different

religion and ethnic groups.

___ a student at Louisiana Tech believes that the difference between the United States

and Nepal culture is religion.

"People in Nepal are Hindu, but in the United States many people are Christians.

Hinduism is very different from Christianity. Hindu doesn't recognize one as the creator of their

religion, as Christians do with Jesus. Hindu's believe that God accepts all worshipers regardless

of their religion,"______ said.

___, a sophomore engineering major at Louisiana Tech and a Nepal native, said that

the next thing that makes Nepal's and the United States cultures different is family.

"In Nepal, the most important thing is family. Parents and their children bonds are very

strong and they lived together until the end of their lives. In the United States, it is normal

for children who reached the legal age to begin living on their own,"_____ said.

According to ___, it is a common misconception that Nepal is a very small country and

that the entire country is poor.

"Nepal is a very large country. Our population is over 25 million and it is at least four

times the size of Belgium. Most of Nepal's population is poor but there are rich people who live

in Nepal also,"____ said.

Despite Nepal's extreme poverty, Nepalese are blessed with one of the richest cultures on

earth.