Sumitra is a daughter of former bonded labourers in Nepal.
“Before I was helped by BASE (Anti-Slavery partners in Nepal) I was herding goats for my family, just so that we could try to make enough money to eat. That was about 5 years ago.
Then, I was given the chance to go to a preparatory class for five months and I worked really hard, so I got admitted to primary school. I can go to school because I got a scholarship, funded by Anti-Slavery.
When I first went to my school, I felt really shy and I was reluctant to fully participate in the class and all the activities. But I kept going every day and I started to make lots of friends in my class, and then other classes too.
My teacher says that my studies have improved a lot from before, and that I am much more confident, speaking out in class and working with my friends. I am studying really hard, and my teachers told me that if I keep working like this then one day I could achieve something great.
My mother and father don’t have the money to pay for me to go to school – we can’t afford the stationery, text books and uniform without the help of the scholarship.
I will keep studying and progress into the higher classes. My hope for the future is to become a nurse, so that I can learn technical skills and provide treatment support in my local village and community.
