I am Sharmila. I was born in Saralahi, Hajariya VDC. I am a daughter of father Gyan Bahadur and mother Kiswori. Now I am studying in grade four. I have eight members [brother, four sisters, father, mother and me] in my family. My father and mother are farmers, they cultivate grains and vegetables. We did not have enough land to grow enough food for our whole family. My whole family members are illiterate.
I hadn’t been to school before I came to the hostel. Due to the poverty, we came to Kathmandu to work at Brick factory. We started work at Shree Machhindra Brick factory which is in Bungamati, Lalitpur. It’s a seasonal work just for winter season and hard to work. Even I had to work with my parents as a labor. I had to wake up at night around 3 -4 in the morning and had to start dig land, mix water in and mold the soil to make raw bricks.
I had always worked with clay which is very cold. I used to work for whole day and could able to make 400-500 bricks. That is why my hands and legs are quiet rough and harder. I did not have enough warm clothes to wear that time.
All was just about to work and earn food for whole family. My parents love us very much but the poverty made us to work. My parents knew that education is important but they just couldn’t able to send me to school. We had to earn as much as possible in six – seven months for whole year. Because the brick factory just open in winter season around 7 months in a year. I was happy as well that I could able to help and support them. I wanted to study in a school but my parents couldn’t afford me to send school. My brother and sisters also there so, my parents just didn’t send us to the school.My parents knew that education is important but they just couldn’t able to send me to school
Instead of studying, my whole family used to work at Brick factory. Days were passing like this and one day some people for Help to Educate came to visit at Brick factory. They saw me working and making bricks. They came closer to see me working and to talk. My parents were near to me. They started talking with my parents and later to me. They also told me that they are helping children like me. They asked me and my parents many things about mine like education, name, and age and about work as well.
They visited several times at brick factory. They asked me whether I wanted to live in the Little Gems Girls Hostel and study in a School. I was very happy about it. So I agreed to go with them to see the hostel first. The hostel was very nice and found that different environment there. Since then I have been living in the hostel and studying in a school.
I have many friends in the hostel and in school. They all are very nice. My Teachers are also very kind. They helped me learn many things for life. Life now is completely changed. I will keep continue study hard for my future. My aim is to be a Teacher in future to help and teach children like me.
Thank you Help to Educate for everything.
