Karma: Remember the Faces
Friday, June 23, 2023
Karma Singh has always championed the social benefits of helping. She is now working at B&B Hospital, in Kathmandu after completing her Nursing from Seda School in Surkhet in 2019.
“When you graduate, you’re not always fully aware of what you’ve gained from such an environment. You only begin to realize as you start to experience the wider world,” recalls the 24-year-old. “My involvement in healthcare is something I highlighted in my personal story. It has made me dedicated, and committed.”
And for Karma, training to be a nurse during a global pandemic definitely leveled up the challenge.
“I was freshly done with my nursing training and I was home, quarantined. I was offered a choice to stay home or help people who truly need it. I took on the challenge; I had only a little experience, but I wanted to be of help.”
Nepali immigrants living in India were forced to return, and with this harsh and difficult situation, they had nowhere to go or no place to be quarantined. People were sleeping in the heart of the jungle, beside the road of Nepalgunj and Surkhet.
Kopila Valley School was helping these immigrants with food, shelter, healthcare, and any means to get them home. The medical team and I were camped out, without electricity and internet, wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) gear and sweating 24 hours per day, and with tireless and restless eyes. It was definitely a huge step for me. Despite the challenge, I found purpose in my work. Might I say, it presented me with opportunities.”
“No matter how difficult the days may get, I don’t forget the faces of people I help get better.”
Karma worked at OM Samaj Hospital, where she learned to fall in love with her profession and then after that came 9 months of work in home healthcare. “Home care definitely spoke the word ‘challenge’, " she says. “I was working odd hours, eating meals at odd times. I was barely getting any sleep, and there was no time for me to breathe. And I really needed a break.”
She took a break for a couple of months, recharging herself with vacations and home trips to visit her home, along with getting back to her nursing textbooks to learn new things.
Karma now works as a newly-recruited nurse in B&B Hospital located in Kathmandu Valley. “I really want to focus on my professional development, striving to deliver healthcare to our community.” She says, “I am not yet done with learning and discovering. In the future I want to continue doing that, which means returning to college. I don’t know yet when that will be. But I know I will someday.”
“Honestly, Nursing was not my first priority as a degree,” Karma confesses. “At the time I graduated, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. I chose Nursing because that’s the only thing that came to my mind and I thought it wouldn’t be such a terrible idea. But now, I feel great when I get to save lives and help people get better.”
When asked what other profession she would choose, Karma says, “I would go with the Banking sector in a heartbeat. These days I find myself in the world of stock marketing and a love for investing.”
“Nursing might not have been my passion, but I pursued it, relished every opportunity, time and seconds of my training, and in the end, I feel satisfied, in fact, proud,”she adds.
Karma also advises the younger ambitious generations not to avoid challenges.
“Challenges are the pebbles standing in between you and an unopened door. If you stumble upon those pebbles and manage to stand before the door, you learn the workings of life.”
We are thrilled to have one of our very own Kopila Valley School graduates write this guest blogger series and share alumni stories! Anjali Karki graduated in 2019 and is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism along with a journalism career. We can’t wait to see what each of these world-changers does next. Follow us on social media with the series hashtag (#NarrateYourKopilaStory) for more about these young adults and their adventures.