Askiya Timalsina (10 years) is a sponsored child. She lives with her family in Sikharpa, Lele VDC. It’s a remote area in the southern part of Lalitpur District. She is studying at a local public school in grade six. The family does not have cultivable land. Her father is the sole breadwinner in the family. He works as a seasonal daily wage laborer, earning about five thousand rupees monthly. Such a small income is barely sufficient for fulfilling their basic needs.

Everything was going on smoothly in Askiya’s life. She was attending the school regularly and performing satisfactorily. In one fateful day, she felt pain in her left knee. Gradually, it got swollen. Despite the pain and swelling, she did not reveal her condition to anyone. One of the mornings, her knee hurt so badly that she could not reach the school, no matter how much she tried.