Home: Fikkal, Ilam, Mechi

Education: B. Tech (Food Technology), Lalitpur Valley College, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Both my parents used to work in offices. So my sister and I had to live in our mamaghar (maternal home) so that we were taken care of properly. It was a joint family where we got love and care of our grandparents. My school was about 30 minutes’ walk away from the house. Later on, we started living with our parents but we had to change our schools almost every year due to mom’s or dad’s frequent office transfers. From fourth grade onwards, I started going to a private school but it had a Nepali medium education. My English was better than other friends because of my good English base in previous schools. Some of my friends who were weak in English used to ask me to let them copy my homework and in exchange they would offer locally grown fruits like pears and cherries. As I had to change so many schools, I could tell that quality of education differed in each of them.

In grade eight, I entered a very renowned English medium school in Jhapa. At first, it was very difficult for me to adjust. Gradually, I worked hard and started to excel. In SLC examinations, I was the only girl from our class to pass with distinctions. I even scored highest mark in Nepali subject in the country. I was proud of myself, so was my family.

I grew up as a girl who had more interests in general knowledge, sports, science and news rather than TV serials and make-ups. My greatest inspiration was my ‘mama’, my uncle, who always thought that the new generation should be educated and be able to take up the responsibilities that elders couldn’t. Hearing my parents say that they walked barefoot to schools very far from the areas they lived constantly reminded me that we are really lucky to be born today with all the modern facilities including accessible schools. Inspired also by so many friends who walked for hours to reach school who managed to finish household works before and after school, I thought that I had an easier life. I valued the initiation that mama took to educate some of us. And it made me wonder if I could become the next person providing the environment to study for many kids who are still deprived of quality education. I see Fellowship as a way to move on that path. Being a Bachelor Degree Graduate in Food Technology, I have participated and volunteered in various Food Safety and Quality related programs, trainings and workshops. I’m also a member of Nepal Food Scientists & Technologist Association. I feel that the fellowship will give me more insights on grassroots level problems related with Food Technology so that I can use my learning in the careers after the fellowship.