To those who are waiting on their dreams. Be patient. Life is a total drama queen. 

-Manjila

2011  | THE BEGINNING OF CHANGE

Surkhet was finally softening under the sun. The winter air that had bitten at fingers and ears was gone, replaced by a gentler warmth. Manjila unwound the blue scarf from her neck, the wool still carrying the faint smell of the morning milk tea. She peeled off the leggings beneath her skirt, freed her shoulders from the weight of a cardigan, and let the light sneaking from the spaces between curtains touch her skin.

Her school bag sagged onto the bed. One by one, she pulled out her textbooks and notebooks, stacking them in uneven towers, until the only thing left was a water bottle leaning in the side pocket like a forgotten friend.

The news came as casually as if her parents were telling her the weather. 

“You’ll be going to a new school,” they said. 

“Why? I have my friends here,” she protested, her voice caught between a child’s plea and a young girl’s stubbornness.

“This one will be better for you,” they answered, the way grown-ups do when the decision has already been made. 

She had just begun fifth grade. 

Frustration knotted in her chest, tangled with a quiet fear she didn’t know how to name. There was no arguing, no protesting. From her parents’ stern facial expressions, she understood their decision was final. 

She gave in…and soon she would find out it was not a loss at all. In fact, it would be one of her biggest prizes. The first time Manjila stepped through the gates of Kopila Valley School, a student buddy was waiting for her with an easy smile. She took Manjila all around the campus, showed her the library, cafeteria, computer lab, football ground, assembly hall, introduced everyone, and then  finally took her to their homeroom class.  

The classroom felt open in a way she wasn’t used to–sunlight pooling across wooden desks, the sound of children reading out loud without fear. In those early days, she learned to listen first. Her teachers spoke with a patience that felt rare, pausing to ask what she thought, what she felt. Slowly, she began to answer, her sentences at first short and shy, but each one a brick in the bridge she was building toward confidence. 

At eleven years old, she figured out her goal in life. She wanted to help people. 

How? 

She didn’t know yet. 

2017  | A LEAP INTO LAW

By the time Manjila turned 17 years old, while her friends and classmates joined Management and Science courses, she chose to pursue law for her +2. “It was a moment of dread, heavy and suffocating like a shadow pressing in,” she says. “It felt like I was taking a path I might regret in the future.” But this feeling passed as soon as she started her classes. She loved the intellectual challenge. The law school was described as a mental gym to her. “The constant need to analyze cases, build arguments, and see issues from multiple perspectives felt stimulating and rewarding as I loved critical thinking. I loved the power of words–how much weight language carries or how the right phrasing, a single clause, or even one word in a contract or judgment can change the meaning of everything. Law gave me a sense of purpose, it felt like a step toward justice.” 

Still, a part of her longed for something deeper. Guided by that longing, she stepped into a counseling course, a journey that led her through the doors of rehabilitation centers, where she uncovered not just the pain of others, but also the calling that would become her true purpose.

2020 | LEARNING BY DOING

At 20 years old, after completing her +2 studies in Law and Counseling, she continued volunteering with different organizations, gaining practical experience and learning from every opportunity. 

2024  | CHOICES

She chose to pursue a Bachelor’s in English at Gurbhakot Multiple Campus, seeing it as a practical step toward her future in law and counseling. 

2025  | TYING THE KNOT

At 25 years old, Manjila got married to her high school sweetheart. 

NOW  | LIVING WITH VISIONS

By her second year of Bachelor’s in English, Manjila already has a clear vision for the next step in her journey: a master’s degree in Psychology. The experiences she has gained so far through her studies in English, her exposure to counseling, and her volunteer work have shown her where her true interest lays. 

“In Surkhet, mental health is rarely spoken about. Many people silently struggle, yet very few seek help because of the stigma that surrounds it. I wanted to challenge that silence–to advocate for conversations around mental health and be someone who could stand beside those who are hurting, reminding them that they are okay and not alone.” 

Manjila wants to focus on understanding the human mind and helping others navigate their challenges. For that thrilling future endeavour, she felt she needed to prepare, which brought her to the Women’s Cooperative. 

“Women from different backgrounds come here, each carrying a story. They receive training in skills like beauty parlor work, weaving, and tailoring, so that one day–when they are ready–they can support themselves and their children, whether by starting a small business or finding stable employment. I felt a deep need to connect with them on a personal level–to hear their stories, understand their struggles, and assist them in their day-to-day tasks. Spending time with them, I realized how much people value being seen and heard. They would come to me, not expecting solutions or advice, but simply hoping someone would listen. 

“Over time, I began to understand that sometimes offering your presence, your attention, and your empathy is far more meaningful than any action. It was in those moments, quietly sharing in the women’s lives, that I truly felt the impact of being there for others.” 

Manjila says that these days she wakes up excited. She loves spending time with the Cooperative members. “They are witty, wise, and some of the bravest women I’ve met in my life. Their smiles through pain, effort despite struggles, willpower through discouragement have made me realize that, in our own ways, ‘We Are Okay.’ The only way to truly win in life is to try. I’ve explored many paths, and each one has brought me closer to contentment, happiness, and ultimately, my purpose.”

With her gentle words, warm smile, and attentive ears, Manjila is bringing the conversation of mental health into a town that has long chosen to avoid it. And life for her is, in its way, perfect.