Though things have improved, I was born in a tiny and remote village in Nepal where there were no schools or public transportation. Sadly my father died before I was born, so my grandparents wanted my mother to remarry because she was still young. Unfortunately, I could not go with my mother as her in-laws would not accept me as their grandchild, so my grandparents raised me. I’m sure it was hard to leave me, but my mother spent more with me as I grew a little older.

One day, a man in the village named Karma Tsewang came to my grandparents’ house with an educational opportunity. My mother and my grandparents urged me to go and gave me a week to decide. I was only seven years old. When we (me and ten other children) first arrived at the CED Society in December 2000, we were warmly greeted by Lama Tenzin, his mother, and his sisters. Before entering private schools, they treated us like family and homeschooled us for the next two years to learn Hindi, English, and basic manners. Today, I hold two degrees from Graphic Era Hill University; a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Business Administration specializing in Marketing. I am currently working for Salesforce India.

In hindsight, I believe that moving to India and away from my family was one of the most challenging but best decisions of my life. However, I do not regret it as I feel very blessed and grateful to Lama Tenzin, his family, and all of the sponsors who have supported the other children and me. That fateful decision resulted in receiving an excellent education, and today I am a confident, compassionate, and empathetic woman.