Durga’s Story.
Durga Aran grew up in a small village in Sindhupalchok, the youngest of eight children. He dreamt of going to school.
Sadly, his parents didn't understand the value of education. Instead, Durga was sent to look after his sister's child when he was just six years old. When he finally attended school, there were no resources and the teachers were frequently absent. At age 15, he moved to Kathmandu, spending years working in restaurants in the city.
Needing to make a change
“As a young adult, I wasn’t happy to accept the limited choices I was being offered,” says Durga “Something in my personality forced me to keep pushing to improve my situation.”
Starting in a restaurant as a dishwasher, Durga quickly worked his way up to restaurant manager. He went on to run his own trekking and tour company before becoming the Founding Director of First Steps Himalaya.
“When I looked back on my own childhood, I wanted to give other Nepali children a better one,” says Durga.
A passionate advocate
Durga decided to start an organisation to give Nepali children access to better educational opportunities. Durga is a passionate advocate for improving education in rural communities and helping others see the immense difference it can make.
Since 2008, First Steps Himalaya has impacted thousands of lives through improved education, teacher training and community support across rural Nepal.
“Sometimes I can’t believe how far I have come. I grew up uneducated with very limited choices and now I find myself educating rural Nepali school leaders on how they can improve their schools and the lives of their students. I am so proud. I could never have imagined the impact our work would have.”
