Rasuwa, September 28, 2026 — Pratima Lama remembers August 26 as a day that began with an ordinary decision and ended with her losing almost everything she had spent years building.
At around 8:30 a.m., Lama was at home in Syaphrubesi, Gosainkunda-5. She had no school that day because a local holiday had been announced for the Janai Purnima fair. She had initially considered staying home.
But she was planning a trip to Kathmandu to replenish her stationery shop after several consecutive holidays. Before leaving for the capital, she needed to visit the shop, check its stock and prepare a list of items she needed to buy.
So she went to the shop with nine-year-old Mishan Tamang, a Grade 5 student at the school where Lama teaches. Mishan lives with her and regularly accompanies her because Lama has been completely blind since losing her eyesight to typhoid when she was young.
The visit initially seemed uneventful.






