When birth decides your future

Why caste still shapes young lives in Nepal - and how your gift helps

To understand life in many parts of Nepal, it helps to imagine how a person’s future can be shaped long before they take their first steps. For centuries, society has been organised through the caste system — a structure that assigns every individual a fixed social position at birth. It determines who they are seen to be, how others interact with them, and which paths may be open or closed throughout their lives.

Even today, despite major legal changes, the echoes of this system continue to influence daily life.

What is the caste system?

In a typical village, a child grows up already belonging to a particular caste. This identity is inherited, passed down through generations, and not something they can change. Some families grow up with social standing, influence, and a sense of belonging built into their community life. Others, particularly those born into Dalit communities, begin life in a position that carries historic disadvantage.

The word “Dalit” itself means “oppressed” or “broken,” reflecting the long history of exclusion these communities have experienced. Traditionally, Dalits were associated with work considered low-status or “unclean,” and for generations this shaped not only their occupations but the way others treated them. In some villages, this meant being kept at the edge of community life — restricted from certain spaces, traditions, or opportunities.

How caste still shapes daily life

Although Nepal’s constitution now protects the rights of all citizens, the truth is that the effects of caste do not disappear quickly. Social expectations, limited resources, and generational poverty still restrict the choices available to many Dalit families.

This is the setting behind the family’s story in our Christmas appeal. Their challenges — particularly around education, employment, and financial security — are shaped by the same long-standing system. Their determination to seek a different future reflects what many Dalit households experience: the desire to move forward held back by the weight of circumstances they did not choose.

Education: the key battle for Dalit children

Education sits at the centre of this struggle. For young people born into lower castes, schooling often involves more than hard work. It may require overcoming low expectations, balancing responsibilities at home, or finding money for fees that families simply cannot afford. Small costs can become major obstacles, and talented students are often forced to leave their studies early.

Anju’s story: a small window into a bigger picture

This is why stories like Anju’s and Uma’s matter. They are 

not isolated cases but examples of a wider reality: that caste continues to influence who gets to continue their education, who can pursue skilled work, and who must step back because the cost is too high.

Nepal is changing. Laws have been rewritten, attitudes are shifting, and more people than ever believe that caste should not determine a person’s future. But change on paper does not immediately transform the lived experience of families who have carried disadvantage for generations.

Understanding the caste system helps us see why your support is still needed today. It reveals how the past continues to shape the present, and how even one act of assistance can help a young person step beyond boundaries that have held their family back for decades.

Anju’s story is one small window into this larger picture — a reminder that when opportunity is offered, it can help rewrite a future that was once limited by birth alone.

Your gift this Christmas can help young people like Anju step beyond limits imposed at birth and continue their education.

Your gift this Christmas can help young people like Anju step beyond limits imposed at birth and continue their education.

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