“Since my childhood I used to help my family work in the fields. I had to go school as well as help with the household work. We were five brothers and two sisters. I was the second son of the family so our family was big and we had to work hard for the food. Before going to school I had to bring grass for the cattle. During the monsoon I used to plough fields from morning to evening. I grew up young and got married. After marriage you have family responsibilities. All the young ones in the village would go abroad to earn a living for the family so my parents also suggested that I go abroad. Then I went to Kathmandu for the interview to go to Dubai and I waited for 9 hours, as there were hundreds of youths. After the interview I returned home and told my family I didn’t want to go abroad but they insisted again to try other countries. I tried different countries and spent more than six thousand dollars in eight years hoping I would get visa which never happened. Then I realised I had spent so much time and money which was useless. I thought if I opened a hotel in Sikles I would be settled very nicely. Then I came back to the village and opened the hotel. I used to work 12 hours a day to build this hotel. It was so hard for me. Today I am happy and satisfied with my work as I am doing well. All of my friends who are abroad are now jealous of my lifestyle. I am living with my family and earning money too and I think money is not everything in life. We need to be happy in life whatever we do. Now I enjoy being here.” Dhan Bahadhur Gurung, Sikles