Sarita Subedi: Lab Assistant

Sarita Subedi comes from a very poor family in Pokhara, Nepal. She is low-caste which means she, her family, her caste and indeed the whole town assume that she will have low expectations. She – especially a girl – would be expected to struggle with low-level employment and a life of comparative poverty.
After school she goes home and helps her widowed mother look after a cow – collect leaves for its food, milking it and ensuring its well-being. Yet the cow is not theirs: they are paid a small amount to tend it, after which they are allowed to take and drink any remaining milk.
Sarita has risen above this by determination and hard work. She has been a high-flier at school, passing every exam with flying colours. With support from her local Rotary Club she was encouraged to try for a distant dream. She has applied for and been accepted into an eighteen-month course after which she will qualify as a Laboratory Assistant.
The cash for her course comes from Dronfield. A local town member has been supporting her for many years. Now they and the Rotary Club of Dronfield have combined to raise the £1000 for her course: a great example of Rotary In Action.