While each student tells a different story of their lives before Learn for Life, their personal stories seem to blend into one large tale of determination to get an education, at any cost.
Akriti Thakala is a quiet young lady from a remote region of Nepal, called Mustang. She was educated in her village and has now moved to Kathmandu to pursue Business Management.
Biography coming soon....
Dhana Maya Lama is from a small village, Dudu Gaun, several hours from Kathmandu. She attended a government school where English is not taught. This would normally make it nearly impossible to pursue studies at a higher level because most programs are in English.
She was determined to learn English and taught herself how to read and write it! When she scored 76% on her SLC exam I knew that she had already beaten many odds. She received a government scholarship to attend a private Nursing College so Learn for Life will be paying for her uniform and textbooks. Her tuition will be covered. What an amazing feat!
At only 15 years old, she has impressed us with her drive and initiative. She even purchased herself a medical textbook while in Kathmandu in May, so that she could start to prepare herself for what was to come.
Jessica is a very outgoing and confident young lady with high ambitions. She scored 85% on her SLC exams. She lives with her mother, father and 4 sisters.
Jessica loves to dance and read, and her parents say she has always had an interest in 'technical things'. Perhaps this is why she is studying Science with the dream of pursuing Engineering eventually. Her strongest subjects are Mathematics and Biology.
Hiramati is excited to be studying in the 3 year Lab Technician's course in Kathmandu. She lives with her parents and 2 brothers.
She enjoys studying Taekwondo and visiting new places. She believes that her career choice will allow her to help people in need.
Her ultimate goal is to be a "A Successful Happy Person in Whatever she does". We think that is just perfect.
Ubika has found her calling in the Science program and looks forward to the opportunity that it will afford her.
She is 18 years old and she scored an outstanding 84% on her SLC exams. She lives with her parents and 2 sisters.
Ubika enjoys singing and dancing. Her goal for her Science studies is to pursue Engineering afterward.
Nishant is this year's only male student that has qualified for Learn for Life's scholarship program. He was very quiet but confident when addressed, as he told me about his ambition for Engineering after completing his Science program.
Nishant has a brother and sister and his father is a small business owner. Nishant enjoys playing soccer (football), basketball and reading novels.
Yasoda is a shy but very intelligent young lady who enjoys basketball. Her father is a security guard with two wives and 5 children. Yasoda's mother lives in their village where she grows potatoes. With a slight family income of $3 a day, Yasoda's opportunity to pursue the Pharmacy Program well exceeds their family's means. This program is very competitive to get into, and she will benefit from Ram Kaji's experience and mentorship.
In a challenging curriculum, some of her best subjects include Physics, Zoology and Anatomy. There are fewer women in Pharmacy than some of the other science based programs and we look forward to a bright career for Yasoda.
Her first year final mark was 73.25% and she was proud to share this with me.
Arju is a very bright young lady growing up with the challenges of a having a mentally ill father and grandmother. Her mother has raised three children while also caring for these other two grown members of her family. Her maturity is evident when she speaks. We are so proud of Arju's score on her entrance exams. She is ranked as #1 in a very prestigious Nursing School, the very best in Nepal. While she will need to work very hard in school, Arju's future is very promising.
Her 79% score in her 2nd year at the Institute of Medicine is truly commendable and we are excited to see her do so well
Srijana is a lovely and sweet girl whose mother works as a cleaner, earning very little. Her father left many years ago, so Srijana and her mother haved lived with an aunt since then. All throughout public school, Srijana's drive and intelligence earned her top marks, but her mother's income cannot support the high cost of Nursing School. Srijana also scored excellent marks on her entrance exam into the prestigious Nursing School that she attends with Arju. Together these wonderful young ladies earned the #1 and #2 spots!
When I met with Srijana in May 2012, she beamed with excitement as she told me about her school practicals. She is truly enjoying her studies and she is excelling in her program. She is no longer the shy and quiet girl that we met back in 2012. This is a different young lady now...confident and excited about her future.
Chanda Maharjan scored very well on her SLC entrance exam but there was no way that her family could not afford to send her to Nursing School, as was her ambition. Her father committed suicide when she was six years of age and her mother left shortly thereafter to re-marry.
Chanda and her two siblings were raised by her grandmother, but her two siblings were adopted internationally and she has not seen them since then. A member of our team heard of Chanda and how her dream of an post-secondary education would not be realized. We offered to pay for her tuition costs, and changed her life that day.
Meeting Chanda in person showed me the spirit behind this driven young lady. She brimmed with excitement as she explained that her Nursing career would allow her to help so many people. In her first year her final grade was 79.29%!
Milan grew up in Hopeful Home, with his younger cousin Sabina. His father died when he was just 1 1/2 years old. His mother remarried and started a new life without him. He was being raised by his elderly granparents until they could no longer afford to care for and feed him. They brought him to Hopeful Home, along with Sabina, to give him a chance for a good life. We have always known Milan to be a smiling face and a lovely young man. His drive to become a Learn for Life Scholar and earn a place in the Radiography Program was apparent when we saw his entrance exam scores!
During his studies, Milan had been living with his uncle and extended family. This proved to be challenging environment for him that forced him to drop out of school in his 2nd year, so that he could get a job to support this family. When we were finally able to come to understand his situation, we encouraged him to re-apply to Radiology, and should he be granted re-entry, Learn for Life will offer him independent living accomodations so that he can concentrate on his studies.
LEARN FOR LIFE ALUMNI:
Roshan also grew up in Hopeful Home orphanage after being abandoned by his mother at a young age. He was one of Learn for Life's FIRST scholars back in 2008, an he studied in the Business Management program.
In the 2nd year of his studies, one of Learn for Life's Nepali colleagues were able to track down Roshan's mother and he has since been re-united with her.
He now works at an upscale restaurant in Thamel, the tourist area of Kathamandu. We surprised Roshan at work in May 2012 where he was proud to tell us about his job, and how is now supporting his mom. He wears a crisp uniform and has a confidence about him that we hadn’t seen before.
Ram Kaji set out on his own, at an early age, from his rural village, in search of opportunity and an education. He knew then that raising cattle would not afford him the ability to one day care for his mother and all his siblings. He simply started walking towards Kathmandu. He was fortunate to find Hopeful Home and years later, Learn for Life found him.
Ram Kaji graduated in May 2012 and He has secured a job teaching while he works towards starting his own business and opening a small shop in Thamel. Learn for life is encouraging him to “fly” now that he has the foundation of this great education.
He is a very dedicated member of the Alumni, and volunteers frequently with ANSWER to encourage other students towards their goals. His kind heart and dedication make him an excellent role model to the other Learn for Life students
His desire to go to college was so great, that even before he knew of Learn for Life, he had composed and published a book of his original poetry to sell and raise money for his studies. Learn for Life is proud to offer copies of Ram Kaji's book for sale Buy a Book...
