Nehan’s Story As Told by Sweta Pokharel, In-Country Director

Nehan* was about 31 years old when she first started attending Sunsar Maya Women’s Literacy program.  She had a warm smile and a bubbly personality, but I sensed a sadness in her eyes. 

During a Women’s Day celebration, I encouraged the women in the program to share their stories with the group. I believe we can learn a lot from each other and we were particularly fortunate to have women of all levels and ages attending our classes. 

As Nehan began to share her story, it was clear that her life was not easy. She talked about her financial struggles—how difficult it was to make ends meet and care for her children. She also shared that her husband had been verbally abusive, in part because she was illiterate. 

Her spirit was broken and she expressed a lot of shame and anger about her situation. 

But there is a saying, if you want to achieve something, keep going and one day you will achieve it. In Nehan’s case, she wanted an education and Sunsar Maya provided that. She worked hard every day and over time, she learned a lot. Her self-esteem improved and so did her relationship with her husband. 

Nehan’s new goal is to open a small shop so that she can help support her family and provide a quality education to her children. 

*Names are changed for privacy.