Since the year of our establishment, Rukmini Foundation (RF) has grown and flourished every year as new members and scholars join our fold in our movement towards an empowered and healthy community. RF was established with the goal of providing not just an educational opportunity for girls but to instead also promote healthy mind, body, and soul through education, guidance, and mentorship so that the scholars will grow to be empowered and invaluable members of their community.
Just this year, 2019, we have welcomed five new scholars from different villages and backgrounds. While the new scholars are already enrolled in different government schools where tuition is free, the scholars and their family struggled with the added financial burden of costs of education and the necessity to prioritize work before education. As our scholars, the girls will be provided not only with basic needs for education like their books and uniform but also with mentorship and guidance.
With diligent help of Rukmini Prathistan (our sister organization in Nepal) board member Mr. Mahesh Tamang, the girls were elected after careful observation of their needs and requirements to ensure we are able to provide them with not only easier access to their educational needs but also to ensure we can help them grow into independent, strong and healthy members of their communities.
The youngest of the five, Rashila Nepali is eight and lives with her parents and her sister. She wants to go to Shree Krishna School with her sister and hopes to one day become a doctor. While Rashila’s parents work as farm laborers and have not been able to rebuild their home after it was destroyed in 2015 earthquake, and currently live in a small tin house and without electricity. With support from our mentors and Didi’s, we hope Rashila will be able to focus on her dream of being a doctor.
Another new scholar, Manika Tamang is a 6th-grade student from Pharping and youngest of three children. Her parents also farm hands and they raise goats and chickens to supplement their income. Every day, Manika walks almost 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) each way to school and is determined to fulfill her scholarly ambitions. Imagine having to do a 5K every day on your way to and from school. Aspiring to become a teacher, Manika is enthusiastic about learning and mentorship opportunities.
12-year-old Bimala Tamang is an only child, and like Manika, she too aspires to be a teacher one day. Bimala’s mother approached the foundation on behalf of Bimala and her dreams. Her parents work as farmhands and have three goats to supplement their income to help support their family and daughters love for reading.
Our fourth scholar Pranisha Tamang is 13 and lives with her father and grandparents. With only her father’s income, Praniasha’s family struggles with their daily living and the cost of her education. As with all our scholars, we hope to provide Pranisha with opportunities to flourish into her artistic talents and support her dream of becoming a health-care worker.
Oldest of our new scholars, Manjita Tamang is 14 and holds aspirations to become a Police Officer. She currently lives with her grandparents and her brother while her father is getting treatment at a Rehabilitation center in Kathmandu. Hardworking and diligent, Manjita spends her free time helping her grandparents and looking after her younger brother.
Today, when we take a quick glance at our new scholars we see young girls with big dreams and bigger aspirations. Tomorrow, we hope to help these girls grow into their dreams as they take on the world as strong, educated and empowered women.
They are the ones fulfilling the Rukmini dream.
- #ChooseToChallange: Rukmini Foundation Challenging Patriarchy Through Women’s Education - April 4, 2021
- Advocate Didi Rukma: on education, women’s rights and child marriages - March 30, 2021
- Programming Our Future - August 25, 2020
- To Establish a Culture of Reading Foundation Leaders Start a Book Club - January 15, 2020
- Conversation with Didi Wong: education,communication and development - August 31, 2019
