Sarita Purkoti

Bio

Sarita Purkoti was born in Gaurigaun, Sisneri, Lalitpur, into a small family. Her mother enrolled her in school at an early age and constantly encouraged her to study. Sarita still remembered holding her mother’s finger on her very first day of school. Her mother did odd jobs at home, and the family relied on a cow and a small piece of land to cover their basic needs.
Although Sarita passed her SLC with flying colors, her family's financial struggles led her to accept a job at a doll factory earning 10,000 rupees a month. She was eager to help her family, but her mother refused to let her abandon her education. Shortly after, while praying at a local temple, Sarita ran into her school principal, who brought her to the selection interviews for the Samaanta Foundation. When she was awarded the fellowship a few days later, she and her mother wept with relief and joy.
Moving to Kathmandu was a major transition; she recalled being terrified the first time she saw an airplane landing near Tinkune after only ever seeing them on TV. Supported by Samaanta, Sarita completed high school at Sagarmatha College. Given her dedication and hard work, the foundation extended her fellowship to cover her Bachelor in Social Work (BSW) at Thames International College. Having faced caste-based discrimination from an early age, Sarita was determined to transform that pain into power through her studies.
Sarita is currently working in Sunsar Maya .Sunsar Maya is an organization that provides educational opportunities to better the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children in Nepal.