Ingibjörg reunites with Sonam after decades of support from Kópavogur to Leh

In the late 1980s, Ingibjörg Steingrímsdóttir learned about a charity in Danish newspapers that allowed people to support children in children’s villages. Motivated by this information, she began her journey and nearly four decades later, her decision continues to have a significant impact.

Ingibjörg had always been intrigued by Tibet and wanted to support a girl from there. She saw her support for Sonam, who grew up in an SOS children’s village in Leh, near the Tibetan border, as a way to make a difference. Sonam, one of nine sisters, had parents who fled to India following the Chinese invasion of Tibet.

Ingibjörg nurtured a dream of one day meeting Sonam. After losing her husband, her desire to visit grew stronger. She began saving for a trip and eventually found a marathon tour in China that included visits just near Sonam’s village. During this journey, she was able to visit Sonam’s family and see the house built with her support.

They both believed they would never meet again, but life took an unexpected turn when SOS in Iceland proposed inviting Sonam to the country. After overcoming logistical hurdles, Sonam arrived at Ingibjörg’s home in Kópavogur at the end of August.

Expressing disbelief at being in Iceland and meeting Ingibjörg, Sonam shared her reflections on Indian culture, where daughters can sometimes be viewed as a greater burden than sons, and traditional practices like dowries still exist in conservative families. She felt fortunate to have this opportunity to connect with a different culture and showcase her own experiences.