"We were six siblings and our parents were very poor. My mom would go to work in the fields and my father would work as a labourer but we never had enough food at home. So my father sends me, my sister and brother to another house to work for them. I left home when I was 8 to work for someone. I used to work in the field and look after the house. Those were very painful days working so hard I would not get enough to eat. I never liked the cold nights during the winter as I would not have enough warm clothes and my feet were always cold. Those were sleepless nights. Then when night came I used to go to my home and sleep with my mother but early in the morning my father used to get angry with me and scold me when I came back. He used to tell me “your brother is a shepherd and your sister is also working and we have three younger siblings at home to look after. If you keep coming back it would be hard to run the family.” Without saying a word I would go back. Night time would remind me my mother as it would be warm with her. I used to think why life is like this but when you are poor you don’t have options. You have to fight for a living. If my father would have lot of money he would never send us to work. When I was fourteen years old I left my owner home and never went back. I am married now and I have two kids and giving my best to my kids as much as I can. It is still hard life for me but better than before. My kids don’t have to work like I did and they are studying now and that makes me happy as I never got the opportunity to go to school.” Dolma Gurung,Upper Mustang,