Fifty years ago, the number of female students in schools in Baitadi, Sudurpaschim Province, was negligible. When the custom of educating sons had not yet begun, sending a daughter to school was unimaginable.

Only a few Brahmin girls would occasionally attend school. At that time, Krishna Bista, who was born in Kharsyang, Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India, where education, health, and physical infrastructure were already well-developed, got married and came to Baitadi, but after her daughter got the opportunity to learn to read and write, she got the opportunity to learn to read and write.

Krishna, who is now 82 years old, came to Baitadi's Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-2 when she was 28. When she came to the village, there were no women who could learn to read and write. After passing the 9th grade, she got the opportunity to teach in a school near the village. Having started her teaching career in 2032, she got the opportunity to become the first female teacher in the district. She started teaching at Rauleshwor Primary School (now Secondary School) in Kafalkot, an hour's walk from her home. 'At that time, it was customary to teach after completing the 8th grade,' she said, 'I was also someone who had studied in India. It took a few years to understand Nepali customs.’

The problem of not understanding the language was the same. She got a permanent appointment in 2034. While teaching, she said that she finally got citizenship in 2042. ‘At that time, there were no female teachers in the entire district. There was no awareness that daughters should be taught. It was a practice for daughters-in-law to take care of their children. I myself had to take care of them,’ she said. She was forced to teach in a dilapidated two-room building. At that time, the government introduced adult education as well as the girl child education program. ‘They started teaching women and girls in the evening and morning,’ she said, ‘so that they would gradually learn to write their names.’ She said that girls who had studied in the adult class were admitted to the class according to their studies.’

What surprised her was that it was a practice for 10-year-olds to come and enroll in grade 1. ‘It was a new subject for me,’ she said, ‘We had already started studying in Darjeeling at a young age. That’s why it seemed new.’ After teaching at Rauleshwor Primary School for 17 years, she became the principal of Chanairaj Primary School in the neighboring village.’

This school is now a secondary school. After retiring from teaching in 2061 BS, she also formed an organization called Mahila Utthan Samaj in the village. She said that she registered the organization in 2053 BS after returning from participating in the Fourth World Women’s Conference held in China in 2052 BS. ‘The organization received support from Anjana Shakya and Rita Thapa from Kathmandu,’ she said, ‘I also started doing my best. After everyone agreed, I was even able to bring money.’

After moving forward in the field of women, Dalits, and indigenous peoples, a wave of change began in the village. She said that all 10 child development centers established with the help of donor agencies at that time have now been converted into government schools. After her husband's death in 2058 BS, she also established a single women's society. 'It was a very backward society,' she said, 'There is still a lot of work to be done.' The current generation must work on this.' She feels that the main problem is discrimination against women during menstruation and childbirth. 'Chhaupadi is still prevalent in some villages. There is still the problem of not being allowed to walk on the road to the temple and not being able to go to school for four days,' she said. She said that even though she is currently living in Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur due to her health condition, she occasionally goes to the village of Baitadi to get involved in social activities.