Susmita Tamang has recently joined our Rukmini family and is currently in 9th grade. She lives in Talku Dundechar, which is in Kathmandu district, and is fortunate to only have to walk 15 minutes to get to her school – Setidevi Secondary School – Talku. Susmita is the eldest daughter of Kancha and Laxmi Tamang. While Susmita’s  family does own 0.25 Acre of land, her father makes a very modest income working at a garden and is only able to provide the family with their basic needs. The family’s income is not enough to support the education costs for all children, which led Susmita and her family to seek support from the Rukmini Foundation. Susmita loves to read books when she is not helping her mother with household chores, and she hopes to become a Nurse one day.

Susmita and her family are part of an ethnic community in Nepal called Tamang. Nepal is a country that has great ethnic diversity and while the Tamang community is very rich in its culture and customs, studies have shown that the group also faces social discrimination that has led to poverty and illiteracy. Rukmini Foundation hopes to empower girls like Susmita with education and give them the opportunity they deserve to prosper and become strong leaders of their communities.