sarala pant

"I married the teaching profession" 
Kanya Mandir School is a government school exclusively for girls in Neukha near Kshetrapati, Kathmandu. Among its teachers, Sarala Pant stands out for her commitment to help students in need.   There are many other examples of her benevolence; she has bought food and clothing for her students with money from her own pocket on numerous occasions. Her philosophies are: “it’s the duty of each human being to have kindness and humility” and that “it pays to respect and be kind to others”. 

Born in Ragnathpur (Dhanusha), she lives with her parents and siblings in Dhobichaur (Kathmandu). She has been a teacher for 20 years – married to her profession! She spent her first 10 years teaching at a private school and the next 10 years teaching at this government school, which she finds even more rewarding.  Most of her students belong to lower class families, who earn their livings on the basis of daily wages. Some of her students are even domestic child workers. Sarala recalls a particular incident when a student fainted from lack of food while she was teaching. The child’s parents had nothing to eat because they had not earned anything the day before. Sarala also routinely sees her students not doing their homework due to lack of stationery and books, and shivering due to cold in the winter. Yet, her students are hungry to learn and enthusiastic to attend school. 

It pains her to see little pairs of eyes searching for food, to see tiny pairs of hands shivering with cold, to see homework undone due to lack of books and stationery. And so Sarala made a commitment to affect change.

• Sarala convinced the Kanya Mandir Alumni Association for mid-day meal sponsorship for 18 students who needed them
• Sarala initiated a disucssion with Kehi Garoun on stationery distribution, which grew to be the Stationery Project that helps over 1000 students
• Sarala is active in designing the KG Gifts program

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