Ratnanagar, Aug. 29: Age is no bar for education, and its great case has been Man Kumari Chepang, a lady from a backward community in Chitwan.
Man Kumari, 39, of remote Kaule VDC of Chitwan has started studying in Class- 9 at the Chitwan Higher Secondary School in her middle age. She goes to school with her children.
Chepangs do not go to school generally but she is now happy to go to school , but Man Kumari is struggling to seek after education making money from her small trade of selling roasted green maize to manage for the studies of the family including herself.
Her children study in Class 2, 7 and 8 and she has difficulty is making expenses for them.
She wakes up early in the morning, but has difficulty in managing the expense. She reaches various areas of Chitwan and Nawalparasi district ringing her bicycle bell to take green maize.
Her daily routine is to sell roasted green maize visiting each and every town through fares around 4:00 pm. Her husband too sells green maize in a push cart. This is all for the studies of four people in the family including herself.
Although the school does not charge monthly fees, it charges exam fees and they have more difficulty in managing expenses for books, copies and meals.
It is not easy to take a room on rent in Bharatpur, but I have managed any how, and if any one cooperated with me, my longing for passing SLC exam will be fulfilled, she said.
In the beginning, she felt some hesitation to do everything, except now it is running easily, she says.  Her routine is to roast green maize in searing sun that too close the hot oven and her body is covered by ghamaura or prickly heat.
