A Grandmother's Determination to Educate Her Granddaughters

For Gopini Ale Magar, education is not simply a pathway to a better future — it is a promise she made to her granddaughters.

Gopini is raising Yunisha Ale and Ritu Ale, students in Grades 9 and 10 at Kalidevi Secondary School in Malta, Bagmati Rural Municipality, Lalitpur. Despite facing severe financial hardship, she remains committed to ensuring that both girls stay in school and pursue their dreams.

The family survives on one ropani (0.05 ha) of owned land and two ropanis (0.1 ha) of rented farmland, which produce enough food for only six months of the year. Her household includes seven members. Gopini works as a daily wage laborer on neighboring farms and in local households.

Life has been marked by repeated tragedy. After the death of her husband, her son (Yunisha's father) also passed away, and her daughter-in-law later remarried and left. Ritu lost her mother at a very young age, and her father also remarried. As a result, both girls have relied heavily on their grandmother's care and support.

For years, Gopini worried constantly about how she would pay for their education. She even considered taking loans to keep them in school. Her burden eased significantly when Shivamaya Educate the Children Organization (SETCO) began providing scholarships to both girls five years ago. Each granddaughter receives a monthly scholarship of NPR 1,000, helping cover school supplies, educational expenses, tiffin at school, and basic daily needs.

Yunisha (Grade 9) and Ritu (Grade 10) at Kalidevi Secondary School, supported by SETCO scholarships since 2021.

Today, Gopini feels hopeful. Although she is currently struggling to manage additional tuition costs for Ritu's SEE (Grade 10 final exam) preparation classes, she remains determined to support both girls through higher secondary education and beyond.

Having witnessed her own sons leave school early and another granddaughter marry before completing her studies, Gopini dreams of a different future for Yunisha and Ritu. She hopes both will complete higher education and build independent lives through the power of education.