January 2046. By then, Ansh Adhikari will probably be reading this article on his screen projection from his sunglasses while his self-driving car navigates Upper Hutt’s skyways. Perhaps he’ll chuckle at how we once called Bitcoin “cryptocurrency” and remember when children actually received physical coins as pocket money. The world will have changed remarkably, but one thing will remain constant—the power of a generous heart.

Today, however, here is the eight-year-old boy whose name happens to be Ansh. If Ansh is quiet, he’s either in bed or busy with his computer games. He is otherwise mostly up to some mischief that eight-year-old boys usually are.

Ask his elder sister about the time Ansh “borrowed” her favourite hair clips to construct an elaborate Roblox-inspired fort in the living room. Or when he convinced the family guest that his FIFA victory dance was worth joining—resulting in a spectacular crash into the hallway bookshelf. His father, Dr Ramil Adhikari, has lost count of the mornings Ansh has appeared at breakfast claiming he’s “too tired” for school after late-night gaming sessions, only to bounce back with championship-level energy by lunchtime.

Yet this same whirlwind of a boy, this Roblox fanatic and FIFA champion, recently made a decision that left his parents genuinely proud. Instead of spending his year-long collection of pocket money on the latest gaming gear or those irresistible snacks flooding store shelves, Ansh chose to donate it all to Ratna Shova School in Nepal to mark his birthday.

For such a young boy to contribute, to help, and to part from something as precious as pocket money—which at that age buys dreams and desires—is truly praiseworthy and exemplary. Twenty years from now, when Ansh revisits this moment, he’ll remember not just the games he played, but the difference he made.

A “thank you” to Soren Neupane for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

03/02/26