Ranjana Y.

Thanks to sponsorship, Ranjana is in the eighth grade at Pragati Shiksha Sadan School. She is 13 years old. She dreams of becoming a doctor and is an excellent student. Ranjana also happens to be a skilled dancer who takes part in all school dance activities. A few years ago Ranjana’s parents came to Kathmandu with their four children hoping to find a better life. Her father is a painter and her mother is a tailor. Their total income is five to six dollars per day. The family rents one room where all six members sleep, live and cook. The children understand the poor situation at home, so they don’t demand much. The children feel a big responsibility toward their family, so they all study very hard. The family is of an ethnic group from the Terai (the southern part of the country) who generally think that girls don’t need education but rather should be married off at an early age. Fortunately Ranjana’s parents don’t think that way and want their daughters to be well educated.