My name is Neha Sarraf, and I come from a small town called Birgunj in Nepal. I was born into a very conservative community where girls are rarely allowed to dream. Most are married young, told their only purpose is to be homemakers and child-bearers. From the very beginning, my life was shaped by struggles that I never chose.

When I was still a child, something happened to me that no little girl should ever go through. It left me broken inside, yet I kept silent, too afraid of judgment to even tell my own parents. Many who have lived through such moments know how the silence hurts as much as the incident itself. You cry alone, you bury the pain, and you try to carry on — but it never leaves you.

My father never believed in educating me; he drowned himself in alcohol and left my mother to carry the weight of our family. My mother, uneducated herself, was the only one who saw me not as a burden but as a daughter with dreams. She fought against society, against family, and against poverty just so I could go to school. I owe everything I am today to her courage.

School was not an escape for me — I was bullied, judged, and treated as an outsider because of my background. Later, when I moved to Kathmandu for my Bachelor’s degree, loneliness made me vulnerable. People I trusted let me down in the worst ways, taking advantage of my pain. Those experiences cut deep, leaving scars I still carry. And yet, in those sleepless nights filled with tears, I found something inside me: the will to rise again.

Every trial I faced has taught me one thing — that pain can either break you or build you. I chose to let it build me. Instead of letting my wounds silence me, I want to turn them into strength, so no other girl in my community has to suffer in silence the way I did.

Recently, I was accepted into the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, Thailand for my Master’s program. For me, this was not just an admission letter — it was proof that girls like me can dream, that we do have the right to education and dignity.

I managed to pay my first semester tuition of $3,212 with help from friends and savings, but I am at a point where I cannot move forward without help. The upcoming semesters are due soon, and my family, already struggling with debts, cannot support me anymore.

To make things harder, Nepal has recently gone through a severe political and economic crisis. Jobs have been lost, businesses shut down, and families like mine are struggling just to survive. With so much uncertainty, there is no way for my family to help me continue my studies — even though they wish they could.

My Financial Need

Remaining Tuition Fees: Around 500,000 Baht (~$13,600 USD)

Living Expenses: About 13,000 Baht (~$360 USD) per month (housing, food, transportation)

My semester payments are due on:

October 1st

January 1st

May 1st

August 1st

Why This Matters

This education is not just for me. It is for the countless girls in my community who are told their only worth is in the kitchen or as someone’s wife. It is for every girl who has cried silently after being hurt but could not tell anyone. It is for my mother, who gave up everything so that her daughter could live a better life.

With this degree, I want to create an NGO that supports girls’ education and protects them from harassment and abuse. I want to stand in front of young girls and tell them: You are not alone. You are not powerless. You deserve education, dignity, and respect.

How You Can Help

Your contribution, no matter how small, will help me:

Continue my Master’s studies at AIT

Pay my tuition fees on time

Cover my basic living costs

Build the foundation for my dream NGO to fight for girls’ rights and education in Nepal

I never thought I would have to ask strangers for help, but today I stand before you with all my vulnerability. If you have ever felt powerless, if you have ever been hurt in silence, perhaps you understand a little of what I feel. Together, we can turn this pain into something greater — into hope, into strength, into change.

Please help me continue my education and become a voice for every girl who deserves a chance to dream.