After my mother’s death, my grandmother raised me because my father worked far from our home in a small town on Nepal and Tibet’s border. In 2002, when I was seven, my grandma and aunt, who was a nun in India and visited us annually, decided I should accompany her to India to become a nun. When we arrived at the monastery, the manager refused to admit me because I was still too young.

 However, the monastery manager was kind enough to tell us about brother Lama Tenzin la (la is a form of respect), who ran a family-style orphanage providing a good home and education for children from Nepal’s remote areas. When we visited Lama Tenzin la, my aunt shared my life’s story, and he offered to take me in.

Joining the CED was a turning point in my life. My childhood was incredible because I was surrounded by other children rescued from Nepal. In this new home, my new family helped me grow up. After graduating from high school, I was excited to pursue a field that inspired me, and now I am happy to have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Interior Design. I also completed an internship with Gensler in Bangalore, one of the world’s most respected interior design and architecture companies. However, due to COVID, I haven’t started a new job since achieving my master’s degree last year. So in the interim, I spend my time volunteering at the CED where I have put my interior design skills to good use in designing the layout of the CED’s new initiative for the PinkPADS facility.

All of my incredible experiences have happened because of brother Lama Tenzin la, his family, and all my sponsors. I want to thank you for your continuous support of my education and everything else.