“I had no guidance but life taught me. And because I was always looking for opportunities for a better life, I came into contact with a generous lady who took me in, to work at her humanitarian organisation. Selflessly, I worked for the children there for I could relate to them. They had lost their parents as I had. Their struggles were mine. Some evenings, at the end of each workday, I would sit in my room and wonder about my village. I would think about home, mother and my childhood. Gradually, the longing to go back home became so strong that I decided to return home and continue my work helping orphans. As I made the decision, I met a young girl named Maggie who shared a similar passion and understood what it was like to be an orphan. Together, we embarked on a journey back to Nepal with a determination to provide support to impoverished children…

Today, at the Kopila Valley School, I spend my time around children who have led a similar childhood as I had. I ask them questions about their village, their parents and how it was like staying home. I can quickly relate to their trauma. And their stories motivates me to continue doing my work. I talk to children who are raised by single mothers and their stories take me back to the days with my mother. I still remember the day when mother had cried of hurt because she was not able to give me what I had asked for. But, I am content today. Because I did not give up so easily and because I found support, many children are able to live a normal life that I was once deprived of. The joy and laughter of these children at present have given me the strength to move forward in life. I feel healed from the traumas of the past.”