Dawa

When I was 6 years old, I lived with my family in a village. My family consisted of five people, including myself. Only my younger brother and I lived in the house. It was very difficult with my family because my father was an alcoholic. He often disrupted the atmosphere in our family through his drinking. Eventually, my mother decided to leave us. She left for Kathmandu and left the rest of the family behind.

After my older brother heard this news, he came to us. He took my younger brother to our grandmother’s house in Tarai (Nijgad). Another older brother, who was friends with Papa (Iman Lama), brought me here.

When I first arrived at the Lotus house, I was very nervous and missed my family terribly. However, after a few days, I started to feel more at ease. After a few months, I went to a school near our house. I was happy that I could continue my studies undisturbed. Slowly but surely, I felt as if I had found a new family. Mom and Dad took care of us as if we were their own children. We started calling them Mom and Dad, and we never felt like they weren’t our real parents. If someone asked me for my parents’ names, I always said Binita Lama and Iman Lama.

I went to Sunshine Secondary School and am now studying at Lumbini College. I enjoyed my time at school because Mom and Dad supported me a lot. When I was in Group 6, I started Taekwondo. I was very enthusiastic because I was interested in it. We started getting up early and practicing regularly. Now, almost six years later, we practice Taekwondo and have won many trophies. Most of us have black belts by now.

Currently, I am in the 12th grade and studying Hotelmanagement, because I have been interested in this field since childhood. I want to get my bachelor’s degree in this field, because I have always dreamed of becoming a chef in my own country so that I can run my own restaurant, which would be beneficial for my future. I would like to do an internship in abroad. That will be very valuable to me; it will help me gain more knowledge, experience, and ideas about the hospitality industry that I can use in the future.