THE AWARD THAT BELONGED TO EVERYONE

When my name was called at Sheetal Niwas in 2021, I walked forward to receive the Jana Sewa Shree award from the Rt. Hon. President of Nepal, Smt. Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

I remember smiling for the photographs, accepting the award, and feeling proud.

But somewhere in that moment, my mind went somewhere else.

I thought about the people who had been there long before that stage — the volunteers who stood beside me after the 2015 earthquake, the people who donated whatever they could, the drivers who carried supplies, the friends who answered calls at all hours, and later, the many who came together again during COVID-19.

Looking at the award in my hands, I knew one thing very clearly:

My name was on it, but the work belonged to everyone.

That moment changed the way I looked at recognition.

Because every achievement that appears to have one face behind it usually has hundreds of hands, hearts and stories behind it.

I accepted the award with gratitude — not just for the honour, but for everyone who had been part of the journey.

To me, the Jana Sewa Shree is still less a reminder of what I did, and more a reminder of what we can do when we come together.