At 22 years old, Priya Mandal* manages multiple roles with determination—daughter, mother, student and community learner. She lives in Kurtha Mahara, a settlement in Nepal’s Dhanusha District, with her mother and younger siblings. With both her husband and father working as migrant laborers, she is left to manage most of the daily responsibilities at home.

Priya completed Grade 12 before getting married, after which her formal education was paused. Now, as a mother to a six-month-old, she has been actively seeking job opportunities, but accessing them has been challenging. She believes her limited formal education, lack of professional connections and persistent social barriers—especially caste-based discrimination—have all made it difficult to advance.

Early this year, Priya enrolled at the Kurtha Mahara Tole Learning Center, part of the She Leads program. The program is designed to equip married women and adolescent girls from Dalit and other underserved communities with essential life skills, financial literacy and livelihood opportunities.

Over the past four months Priya has participated in life skills sessions held in her own community. These sessions—facilitated by trained social workers—cover practical topics such as leadership, hygiene, gender equality and awareness of legal and social rights. They are structured to help women make informed choices and navigate the challenges of daily life with greater clarity.

Alongside this, Priya has resumed her formal education and is now in the second year of her bachelor’s degree. Her mother, who operates a small home-based business, supports her decision to study and grow. With this foundation, Priya is steadily developing the skills and knowledge she needs to pursue meaningful employment and financial independence.Although job opportunities remain limited and systemic barriers persist, Priya remains hopeful. With continued support from community-based initiatives led by Street Child of Nepal and our local partner Janaki Women Awareness Society (JWAS), and access to education and life skills training, she is steadily building the confidence and tools she needs to pursue financial independence. Priya envisions a future where she can contribute to her family’s livelihood and raise her child with greater security, knowledge and dignity.

*Names have been changed for safeguarding purposes.

\Learn more about She Leads at https://www.street-child.org.np/she-leads/