Home: Katari, Udayapur, Sagarmatha

Education: MA (Science and Journalism), Purbanchal University

I was born in Katari, in Udaypur. It falls on the road to Okhaldungha, Khotang, and Solokhumbu, on the side of the Sidhicharan Highway. I have eight older sisters and five older brothers; I’m the youngest. They are all in Kathmandu now. My parents and an adopted sister live at home.

My village is slowly developing. While I was a student, there was no electricity, and no means of external communication. I had to cross a river to get to school - it was fine most of the year, but in the rainy season, the river would flood the bridge, and school would be closed.

When I was in school, I enjoyed it. It contained the world I was looking for: a library, friends, and because I came first in school, many interactions with my teachers. I initially wanted to study medicine, and received a partial scholarship, but it wasn’t enough to go to medical school. I decided to study physics, which I did at Tri Chandra. I’d been interested in being a journalist since I was very young. I had a wall magazine at school, and short articles published in small newspapers that were distributed at other schools. When I came first in the SLC, I was encouraged to study Science.

After my Bachelor’s, a power developed within me. I’d only studied physics because I felt like I had to. And once my Bachelor’s was done, I felt that I could finally enter journalism. Up until now, I’ve never done anything to hurt my parents – I’d say I’m very proud of this.

Once, I’d taught in the village school, just after I’d finished my Bachelor’s, for about six months. The students achieved good results– and I felt proud of being able to help them achieve this. I didn’t let them call me sir: they had to call me ‘Dai’, and I think this helped motivate them.

I found out about Teach for Nepal through an ad in Kantipur. When I saw the ad, I was curious about what this was –perhaps it was for Manang, Mustang, Dolpa or Mugu, to go teach there? I was interested in teaching, and the first sentence in the ad caught my eye.

So then I spent a few days finding out about the organization. I came to the Brihaspati event with Cain Harrelson, a Teach For America Corps Member. I applied after that: the presentation that Shisir dai gave touched my heart. Previously I’d thought – maybe this is just an organization. Once I realized it was a movement, I was more drawn to it; I wanted to be a part of it.

My ideas of TFN haven’t changed: the family environment that was conveyed in Brihaspati has been consistent throughout. I’m very attracted to the idea of working with an eager group of students, I’m eager to learn to work with them. I enjoy literature and volleyball a lot, and I like to travel. And sometimes I like to sit in silence, or in quiet and calm places.

In five or ten years, I want to be working in the field of science and environment as a journalist.