Anuka’s Story

A year ago, seventeen year old Anuka was helping to support her family by selling passport covers outside the Passport Office in Kathmandu. Although she was selling several covers a day it wasn’t enough for her to reinvest, so she came to us in the hope of business support. Seeing how driven she was, we put her through our Business Workshop and helped her buy more stock.

Since that time we’ve come to know Anuka well because she regularly pops into the Support Centre for a chat and we always enjoy her cheerful company. We’ve only ever seen her upbeat and positive which, when you look behind the scenes at her daily life, is nothing short of amazing.

Every morning Anuka heads to the Passport Office where she competes with many others to sell her covers. Afterwards she goes home for a brief rest before attending evening school. When she gets home from classes she catches a couple of hours sleep and then gets up at 1am to make hot tea, which she puts into thermos flasks. She takes the flasks to Thamel (an area known for the night life) and sells the tea to party goers, staff and policemen, as they flood the street at closing time. Once all her tea has been sold she has another short rest before getting up to start another day at the Passport Office.

Anuka called in to the Support Centre recently to let us know her wonderful news. She has passed her Year 8 examinations, coming 5th in her class! Since turning eighteen she has also opened a savings account which she’s been putting her profits into regularly. She was excited to tell us that she’s been using her tea earnings to help the family and that now she’s making enough to reinvest in her business and save for her future.

She tells us she’d like to be an air hostess one day – and knowing Anuka, we believe she’ll be whatever she sets out to be!