“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” Ashiya resonates with this saying by J.K Rowling; the only difference is that Ashiya’s “rock bottom” became the solid foundation on which she BUILT her life. 

Meet Ashiya, a 2019 Kopila Valley School graduate who exemplifies resilience, responsibility, and  a deep understanding of life’s many phases. She has always been self-motivated, taking charge of her life and striving for success in everything she does. Her story is of a young girl coming out of her shell, stronger than ever. 

Ashiya and her mother lived in a small, shabby house nestled among towering mansions and sprawling wealthy neighborhoods. They were surrounded by wealthy families who made them feel smaller and smaller. Her older sister was sent away to live with one of their relatives. Being a single parent, Ashiya’s mother had no choice but to step up to earn income, and they barely got by with what little she earned. Her mother had decided to migrate from Jumla to Surkhet after her older brother passed away (due to lack of proper hospital facilities), so that she could make an honorable and sustainable living. But for a mother who had no knowledge of how the financial world worked, life became very hard to bear.

At the time Ashiya was 4 or 5, she was enrolled in a Government School. While everyone went to School with a backpack and polished black shoes, she walked to the school with torn sandals, a ragged uniform and books in her arms which she held tightly. Her mom brewed alcohol at home, as a means of income. The police caught her and took away the only thing that was keeping them alive. In all this chaos and a difficult period of life, a baby boy was born at one of her neighbors’ houses. Ashiya sought consolation in his eyes. She would spend any time she could spare with him.  

One evening, Ashiya had just come home playing with her new found brother/friend when her mom announced that they were going back to Jumla. Ashiya did not know what to say. She wanted to stay in Surkhet, but she was afraid to ask her mom to stay and be miserable. The whole night she remained quiet. 

After a few days, the father of the neighbor’s baby suggested an idea to Ashiya’s mom. He promised her if Ashiya stayed back to babysit his son, he would look after her, feed her, clothe her, and provide her a secured shelter. The choice was totally up to Ashiya, so she decided to take a leap of faith and give herself a chance, with this generous offer. Soon, looking after the baby boy and doing chores became an integral part of her daily routine. 

After a few months, Ashiya’s mom returned to Surkhet and found a job at Kopila Valley School. She did not know much about the school, but one of her co-workers suggested that she enroll her daughter. And finally, when Ashiya was seven years old, she joined Kopila Valley School in 2nd grade. 

“Imagine attending a school where you were not just educated but fed also. Each day, I looked forward to putting on my uniform, carrying a backpack and walking to school with polished black shoes,” Ashiya says. “In Kopila Valley, I was encouraged to learn at my own pace, and teachers acted more as mentors and facilitators rather than just lecturers.”

You know what they say, when everything is going well, a small part of you fears for the worst that may come your way. A huge cloud began to hover in her life. Ashiya started losing her hair, hair that was as thick as ropes. Soon, all of her luscious hair was gone and her hair never grew. “I went to many hospitals for checkups. No doctors were able to find the cause. They all kept saying Vitamin B deficiency, and then some even uttered Vitamin D deficiency. Even after taking medication after medication, I could not see any results that made me happy.” 

When Ashiya  joined Kopila Valley, she was in her prime. She was lively, cheerful, and energetic, but soon her spirited heart was heavily weighed down by worries and insecurities. She feared to step out in the community, as she would be often pointed out and people assumed she was sick with a contagious disease.

“The only safe space I never wanted to leave was the ground of Kopila Valley School. It became my family from the moment I entered its gate. Soon, the teachers and my friends started seeing the change in me. Although they never treated me any differently, I had already built a wall inside me. I was advised to see a school counselor, who was the biggest help. I remember in one of my sessions she told me, ‘You’re not diagnosed with cancer, you’re not sick, you’re as healthy as you can be. You’re pretty no matter what’.”  

Ashiya was also brought to stay with other girls in a Big Sister’s Home.  “I found sisters and friends who I could share my problems with. I always had someone to lend me a shoulder, a hand to wipe away my tears. I could focus on my studies, focus on myself, and most of all, focus on rebuilding myself.”  

That’s when her pain became her remedy. 

“I am forever grateful that Kopila Valley was there during the time when I was truly distressed, drifted, and disengaged from my life,”  Ashiya shares with gratitude and appreciation. 

Ashiya graduated from Kopila Valley in 2019 with a sense of belonging in this world, with a sense that being different or looking different, according to the  standard of beauty that other people have set, does not affect her value.

She chose to study Nursing in Seda School in Surkhet. She says that she wanted to find a solution to her problems by herself. She wanted to help young girls who may face the same challenges she faced to establish a new life where they accept and love themselves. But in all of this, she became a walking example of ‘accepting who you are’ in the heart of a nursing school. 

Everyone learns differently, right? 

Ashiya finished her nursing course in 2022, and now she is in Kathmandu preparing for her Nursing License exam.  Today, she says that she not only realizes but tells everyone that advocating for yourself is the biggest lesson you can ever learn. Armed with confidence and determination, she declares that she sees herself working as a nurse in Governmental (Public) Hospitals. She sees areas that need improvement and wants to be a positive change in the existing health services provided by  hospitals.

“I’m proud of where I’ve come.” Ashiya says. “My path was never direct or easy, nor was it visible, but Kopila Valley School played a huge role in teaching me that learning has nothing to do with intelligence, but just that you learn differently.” 

She is a great singer, and she loves listening to music. She also loves playing sports, but she loves reading biographies. “I find it very relaxing, and at the same time encouraging, to read other people’s biographies.” Her advice to people who are struggling to find themselves every day? Ashiya says, “Don’t compare; everyone aspires to be different, so embrace your difference. Don’t expect, then you won’t get disappointed, and know that your potential has an ample amount of room because the sky’s the limit.”