The Blog

Sima is from a village called Swardwari Khal in Pyuthan District. She has two younger sisters and a brother. When she was young, her father left the family and went to India for work. Sima says her mother struggled to provide for her children, but had difficulty fulfilling their basic needs. Despite their circumstances, Sima’s mother made a tremendous effort to support her daughter’s education.

Poverty made it difficult for Sima to pursue her studies and often she could not afford the educational materials. She says her mother would sell possessions and beg or borrow money from neighbors to help pay for her daughter’s school fees.

Sima received a scholarship to complete her last two years of high school, but wanted to continue her education.

“I passed 10 + 12 in second division, but I consider that this is not enough to get a good career,” she wrote in her BMKF scholarship essay. “I want to study further for better achievement in my life.”

Sima wishes to be a teacher and credits her ambition to a lifelong passion for reading. She believes higher education will help her develop the skills and confidence to teach and inspire other underprivileged children.