What We Know Comes From Observation

Photo: Anacostia students Lamar Penny and Nekaiya Wilson with foreign correspondent Eddie Walsh.

STORY BY NEKAIYA WILSON, FNN REPORTER, ANACOSTIA BUREAU. 

On February 9, 2012, a fellow student, Lamar Penny and I were guests at a dinner at the home of Shankar P. Sharma, Ambassador from Nepal. We were invited by foreign correspondent Eddie Walsh and the National Press Club who hosted the dinner. The purpose of this gathering was to inform the press on the current status of Nepal’s government, specifically Nepal’s economic issues.

 Nepal is situated with China to its north and is bordered by India on the south and west. It was once a monarchy, but is currently a federal democratic republic. Today, Nepal has a president who acts as head of state and a prime minister who heads the Nepalese government. Nepal is a secular state with a predominance of Hindu and Buddhist populations.

During the dinner, Ambassador Sharma stated, “2012 is the year of investment in Nepal”.  As he spoke, these words gave me a glimmer of hope for my country. In these rough economic times, it was good to hear his boldness in stating that tourism will increase in Nepal.

The experience was so exciting. I was scared as I walked up to the door, but once I entered, I felt like I belonged there. The ambassador’s house was beautiful—filled with the paintings and antiques directly from Nepal. The Nepalese food was authentic and awesome! The house was filled with an aroma that I have never experienced before.

This experience allowed me to network with journalists and great Nepalese people in an environment that was completely foreign to me. When I told classmates about the experience, they were then interested in attending. I enjoyed myself and it definitely won’t be the last time.

Nekaiya Wilson is a 2012 graduate of Anacostia High School. She will be attending Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina starting Fall 2012.