Kalpana C

Born in a poverty-stricken family, Kalpana was just 13 years old when her father passed away. Her mother turned to alcohol to cope which led to other, severe health issues. Kalpana never felt peace at home. She felt unwanted and unloved.

She often thought to herself, “Why doesn’t my own mother love me?”

She decided to run away from home. She wanted to go to India to start a new life with a new job. As she was crossing at the Kakadvitta Border, she was stopped by our partners. She was counseled and offered vocational skill training at the Training Center. Kalpana accepted and on arriving, chose the culinary track.

Kalpana has learned how to make Nepali “fast food” which are staple dishes beloved by all. She will soon be starting her own micro-business running a food cart that she can travel with, preparing and selling food to customers.