“Dreams are everything.

They’re my hope.

They’re my energy.”

Srijana was the firstborn of her family, a fact that had carried both great joy and immense pressure. In her community, the birth of a son was considered a blessing, and Sirjhana’s father had longed for a son to carry on the family name. But fate had different plans, and they were blessed with three spirited and determined daughters instead. But that was not enough. A son HAD to be born. After many attempts, Sirjhana only got more sisters. After some time, her father left the family hanging in a mountain of debt.

Her mom was emotionally torn into shreds. Sirjhana says she was old enough to understand, and in fact to feel the sorrow of her mom. That’s when she decided that she was going to be enough for her family. She decided to prove her dad wrong and show him that girls are equal to the sons he so vocally wanted.

This awakening may have hurt, but for Sirjhana there was no looking back.

To help her mom with the mounting loans and everyday needs, Sirjhana worked as a kitchen helper at a bus station. Their other source of income was selling fruits in the streets.

After tired eyes and tired bodies for years, Sirjhana found something that helped infuse her hope and dreams in life – Kopila Valley School.

“My journey wasn’t a straight line before Kopila Valley. It still isn’t, but I learned to walk in patchy and rough paths.” Continuing her education while hurdling responsibilities, she became tough. “I most definitely feel like I was prepared for the role,” she tells us, “I didn’t know I had so much potential in me until I tried my hand at it. The first time I performed a dance at the school, I knew I could dance.the first time I wrote my thoughts on a piece of paper, I knew I could write. The first time I sang in Talent Tuesday, I knew I could sing, and the first time I held a soccer ball, I knew I had found my passion.”

In Kopila Valley School, Sirjhana tells us she found her life again. “Finally, I felt like I needed to do something for myself.” So, every day in the evening she put on her soccer jersey and shoes, tied her hair up, and left her house to practice at the Kopila Valley School grounds.

Kopila Valley School’s girls soccer team was the very first in Surkhet. Sirjhana joined the team, and they instantly started winning almost all the competitions. “I do believe that our girls’ team was an inspiration for other schools. The girls started playing, and it was surreal to witness. All of a sudden, Surkhet started to seem so powerful,” Sirjhana expresses.

To her joy, she was a multi-tasker and multi-talented. In Kopila Valley School, she was more than just Srijana, she was a girl dreaming big, laughing, smiling, and being a child. But at her home, she was “just a Srijana” whose duty was to be a role model, a breadwinner, and the one with responsibilities. She prioritized her family above anything else, but slowly she learned to prioritize herself. She had no choice!

Amongst all her family responsibilities, Srujana says she found soccer to be her solace. “On the soccer field, all my stress would be kicked around, dusted, and buried. I had the most fun when sweat dripped down my forehead.”

Love, a force that transcends boundaries and unites hearts, shares a profound kinship with the beautiful game of soccer for Srijhana. During her school days, with her leadership, the girls soccer team has brought trophies of victories from different districts and national games.

“Kopila left an indelible mark on my heart.” she says with a smile as she reflects. “I definitely discovered myself there.”

Srrijana graduated from Kopila Valley in the year 2020. Since then, she has been in Kathmandu fulfilling her lifelong dreams. She was particularly excited about going to a new city all on her own and finding a good college. Now, she is pursuing BBA at KCM (Kathmandu College of Management), and traveling all over the place for internships and opportunities. A fun fact about her is that she has been running recycling campaigns in Kathmandu and hopes she might be able to turn this into a business in the near future.

Her message is clear: You can do this!

Srijana’s story is not just about her personal struggles; it represents the struggles of countless underprivileged children worldwide. It shines a light on the urgent need for education. And it shows what magic education can do in a life.

We are thrilled to have a Kopila Valley School graduate write this guest blogger series and share alumni stories! Anjali Karki graduated in 2019 and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism along with a journalism career. We can’t wait to see what each of these world-changers does next. Follow us on social media with the series hashtag (#NarrateYourKopilaStory) for more about these young adults and their adventures.​​​​​​​