By Karma Sherpa | Executive Director & Co-Founder
Hello Namaste ! and Happy New Year !
I am supper excited to share you very exciting news in this Holiday season about one of our student; Smriti , civil engineer against all odds
Smriti , 18, is student of civil engineering diploma studies. She hopes to get a Bachelor’s degree and one day become a top professional in her field. She currently lives in Kathmandu with her grandmother and brothers, while her parents and younger sisters are back home in Jubu, Solukhumbu.
Don’t listen to the naysayers
“You come from such a tiny village, how could you achieve anything? Engineering is not for you.” This was what Smriti heard from many relatives when she decided what she was going to study. “Lots of people were very discouraging to me,” she says softly.
She almost lost hope because of what the people around her were saying. She doubted herself because some of the things they were saying were indeed true - her English wasn’t great and she was just a girl from a small village. She started to think that this path might not be for her, but her parents encouraged her to at least take the engineering college entrance exam.
When results from the exam were released, her GPA wasn’t as high as she’d hoped. She wasn’t accepted into the college she was aiming for. Smriti broke down in tears when speaking about this time of her life. She is one of six siblings and money was already tight before the family had to pay college tuition for her.
The Small World took a weight off her shoulders
The first college she’d applied to was a government college, which has much lower fees, but due to her grades she didn’t qualify to get into it. The other option was a private college - which is much more costly and this was something that her family could not afford. “It was very difficult for my family to come up with the monthly tuition fee,” she shared with us, “and we have many practicals - even buying the stationery and materials for drawing is expensive.”
Her mother took out a loan to cover the expenses and Smriti looked for part-time jobs to help, but she didn’t find any. “After that, I found out about Small World, and now it’s better,” she says with tangible relief. She’s so glad that her family doesn’t have to take out more loans, which takes a huge weight off her and her family’s shoulders
Breaking gender stereotypes, diploma in hand
Nearing the dream of Civil Engineering, Smriti’s next plan is to take an exam which will enable her to qualify for government jobs. And she has a message for all the people who told her that she couldn’t become an engineer, or those who believe that girls cannot become doctors or engineers: “I was told that engineering is only for boys, but I’m here, I’m almost finished my diploma. In a few months I’ll be finished and hold an engineering qualification in my hands. No matter what others say, I’m proud of myself.”
Her biggest goal is to become an engineer, but not just any engineer. She hopes to one day be the leading female engineer in her field. “I want to study as much as I can and get the highest possible post and be a leader. I don’t want to just learn the basics and go and work out in the field. I want to study and work my way up and one day be in charge of a department.”
So how is Smriti planning to reach her dreams of being a top Nepalese engineer? “I just need to make sure that I stay confident, and not let others make me doubt myself.” She adds that, “knowing that Small World is behind me, and lots of the people involved in TSW all around the world are supporting me, this makes me feel so proud.
“I also feel responsible to be a role model for those who want to be an engineer, or doctor, or whatever, but who don’t have the courage yet.”
She also believes that if she becomes professional civil engineer and returns to Solukhumbu, she could serve as an inspiration to other young women there. In Nepal’s mountain villages, many girls are taken out of school early to work at home or get married off. “I hope to become a role model within my community, and raise awareness about what daughters can do when they are educated.”
Today our goal is to raise $5K to help Smriti Majhi to realize her dream come true the Engineer from one of the most remote community of Solukhumbu.
Meet with Smirti and Girls here
Thank you so much for being there for Girls education in Nepal in the moments that matter most.
Namaste ! Happy New Year to you !
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