“Mother sold leaves outside temples. And I walked beside her while she carried the Doko. I was probably 7 or 8 years. Mother would say, “The money from these leaves can help you go to school. You will not have to toil at home and spend your lives after the animals.” Father was also the loving kind. He carried milk pots in his back and delivered it to the households in the villages. He would say, “You have to go to school too.” So I went to school alongside my brothers. If they teased me or foolishly asked me questions, then I had an answer. Father was happy that unlike my mother, I could talk to people. Mother was happy that I could answer to any questions and handle responsibilities that my brothers could not, even if they wanted to.” (Pampha Gautam, Panauti 7, Kavre)

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