As a child, Shanti Chaudhari was scolded by her parents for standing too close to a group of musicians playing the naumati baja, Nepal’s nine traditional instruments, because they were identified with the Damai, part of the lowest caste that was formerly known as “untouchables.” Chaudhari, now 41, eventually overcame her family’s opposition and today performs in a band of her own called Shrijanshil Mahila Sanstha, or the Self-Reliant Women’s Group. Her husband, who also was initially against her participation, now supports her musical pursuit and cooks meals when she gets home late from a performance. Members of Shrijanshil Mahila Sanstha, or the Self-Reliant Women’s Group, plays at a wedding in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) Bal Kumari B...
Read MoreDay: March 9, 2024
As visitors’ coins splash into Rome’s majestic Trevi Fountain carrying wishes for love, good health or a return to the Eternal City, they provide practical help to people the tourists will never meet. For hundreds of years, when in Rome, visitors have flocked to the fountain to make a wish, following a storied ritual. Few gave their coins a second thought. Sofia Paz, from Chile, throws a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane Today, coins pile up for several days before they are fished out and taken to the Rome division of the worldwide Catholic charity Caritas, which counts the bucketfuls of change and uses them to fund a food bank, soup kitchen and welfare projects. In 2022 Caritas collected 1.4 million euros ($1.52 milli...
Read More