My name is Phaken Das. I belong to the Tatma community of Madheshi Dalit. My permanent address is Ward No. 8, Haripur Municipality, Sarlahi District. Right now, I’m working as a Lab Assistant under the government’s civil service, stationed in Galkot Municipality, Baglung District, Gandaki Province. I owe a huge part of my success to Samari Uthan Sewa and the Dalit Story Club—they’ve been my guiding lights.
Caste discrimination has been a shadow over my life since before I was born. My mother used to tell me that when she was pregnant, doctors refused to examine her just because she was Dalit. From the day I was born until today, I’ve faced caste-based discrimination almost every single day—at work, in shops, in the village. Even as a government employee, I still deal with discrimination and exclusion.
When I was just four years old, my father passed away from tuberculosis, complicated by an infection in the lungs. We had to collect donations from the village to afford his treatment, but it wasn’t enough—he couldn’t recover. Four years later, my mother also died from an unknown disease. Losing them so young left a deep void in my heart. I still remember them vividly, and I often wonder: if they’d gotten proper treatment on time, maybe they’d still be here with me today.
Their deaths, because we couldn’t afford the care they needed, lit a fire in me. I vowed to study something in health services, so that no one else would have to suffer like me—and so I could help others.
After that, I was left an orphan. No one to care for me, and education felt like an impossible dream. Some of my relatives even talk about sending me to an orphanage in Kathmandu. But then, a neighbour, brother, stepped up. His own situation wasn’t good financially, but he took me in and raised me like his own relatives.
I refused to give up. I mustered the courage to keep studying by working odd jobs. Starting from class 7, I began doing manual labour. On holidays, I’d work in construction, earning to cover household expenses and my studies.
Then, another brutal challenge hit me: I contracted leprosy. The whole village turned against me, hurling insults and stigma. But I pushed through slowly making my way to complete 10th grade. After that, I sought treatment at the Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital Service Center in Dhanusha. There, I received free care, and after six months of medication, I was cured. While there, I even became the president of the group for leprosy-affected people.
My passion was always in the health field. The hospital gave me a scholarship to study as a lab technician, and that’s how I trained to become a Lab Assistant.
About two years ago, I was working at a polyclinic when I joined Samari Uthan Sewa. Together with other young Dalits, I founded the Dalit Story Club. Through the youth club, we organised activities to address discrimination, rights, and justice for our community. Samari trained us in writing so we could share our experiences. We are also able to develop a website www.dalitstory.org.np to share our writings.
As club members, we started writing about community incidents and our personal stories. We’d get them typed out, and Samari published them online. We didn’t know how to use computers back then, so we relied on others for that.
The Dalit Story Youth Club instilled in us the power of big dreams. It taught us that our community must progress, not regress. We need education, and we deserve to go anywhere—that’s the confidence it built in us.
Once I joined, I began offering free evening tuition to Dalit children. I travelled to villages, urging kids to study. We lobbied municipalities for budgets dedicated to our community. I started reading extra books beyond my coursebook. We lacked resources, so we requested Samari about the need for a library. We realised education is the key to liberation for Dalits.
While I was active in the club, I took a job at a private health institution and began preparing for the civil service exams. The skills I learned from the club were invaluable for that. In July 2025, I passed the civil service exam and was appointed as a government worker. Even today, when I visit my community, I tell everyone: “We have to advance through education and writing, and fight for our rights.”
I still believe discrimination holds our Dalit community back, along with economic hardships. I’ve endured countless challenges, humiliation, and exclusion. But I’ve learned that with strong willpower, even the poorest can achieve their goals. For all this, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Samari Uthan Sewa, and Dalit Story Club.
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