After completing her undergraduate degree, Binita Jirel had to walk for eight days to get to the remote northeastern Nepali village of Nyisal, where she had volunteered as an elementary school teacher.
That seems like an extraordinary commitment, and it was. But Jirel already had experience as a solo trekker and trekking guide in Nepal. And having grown up in another, not-quite-so-remote village in central Nepal, she knew how important education was to those children.
"They were a reflection of me because, growing up, my parents really didn't get access to education or information or opportunities, even though we were closer to the capital city of Kathmandu," remembers Jirel. "Our parents constantly motivated my brother and sister and me and told us that we needed to study in order to make life better for ourselves.
"Those young children in Nyisal were really brave and they also had so much potential," she says.
Jirel, now 29, continues her journey to help children reach their full potential as she earns her master of arts in community engagement today from the University of Alberta's School of Public Health and begins a new job at BGC Big Brothers Big Sisters in Edmonton.
The village "smart girl"
Jirel describes herself as a "people person" who was outspoken even as a child, sharing her frustration when she perceived an injustice or her contagious positive energy when she felt happy. She was known as "one of the smart girls" in her small village of Jiri, which is in central Nepal east of Kathmandu, near the base camp of Mount Everest.
Jirel grew up hearing the story of another village "smart girl" who had ended up "squandering" her potential by quitting school and getting married. Jirel was terrified people would gossip about her choices too, but she was also determined to take her own path and define success for herself.
While Jirel was growing up, her mother stayed home to look after the three children and tend to nearby fields, while her father took a job as a migrant worker in Japan and sent his wages home to support the family.
Jirel did as much schooling as she could in the village, then moved to Kathmandu to complete high school. She won a scholarship to attend the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh, for five years — first a preparatory year, then four more years to complete her undergraduate degree in economics.
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In the break before her final year, at age 22, Jirel took on a personal challenge she wasn't sure she could complete, but she tackled it anyway. It was her first solo trek to the Upper Mustang in northern Nepal. Though she was travelling on her own, she soon realized she was never alone. Villagers along the way were welcoming. Other travellers were always available in a pinch, like when their bus got hopelessly stuck in a muddy track along a high mountain pass. She was on the road for 17 days and came home triumphant.
"This trek has given me uncountable learnings," she says in a video encouraging other women to try solo travel. "If I can do it, so can you."
"Women's mobility is often restricted by social norms, but embarking on this solo trek was a transformative experience for me," Jirel now says. "It boosted my confidence and broadened my perspective, reminding me of how small we are in the vastness of the world, yet how meaningful our lives can be. This journey marked the start of many significant adventures that have shaped my life since."
"A profound sense of responsibility"
Jirel's elder brother is now a chef in the United Kingdom, and her sister, who also completed an undergraduate degree, works for a non-profit in Nepal.
"Growing up, we did not have many women role models in academics," Jirel says. "As the first generation woman from my family to pursue an undergraduate degree abroad, this achievement paved the way for other young girls in my community, including my sister, to believe in their potential and strive for higher education."
Jirel felt called home as soon as she completed her undergraduate degree in Bangladesh.
"My degree was beyond improving my own life — it was also about showing possibilities for other youth in my community," Jirel says. "Pursuing higher education was possible for me because of the support and mentorship I received from many people along the way. It inspired me to go back home and contribute."
She later explained her choice at a public event called "The Storytellers" in a talk entitled, "It's OK if nobody understands your journey, as long as you know what you are doing."
"I really value education so much because it helped me see the world very differently, and that's why the first thing I wanted to do after finishing my undergrad was teach in a place that I love," Jirel says.
After the teaching stint in northern Nepal, Jirel decided to blend her passion for travel with her love for her home, taking Nepali and foreign young women on outdoor trips hiking, trekking, kayaking and camping. She co-founded Duluwa Outdoors, a travel company for women by women.
"I love travelling and decided to pursue a career as a trekking guide. While working, I learned that the tourism industry, especially guiding, was highly a male-dominated profession so, with a hope to encourage more women to travel, I co-founded Duluwa Outdoors to create a space and opportunities for more women in travel," Jirel says.
Along with solidifying her skills in teamwork, leadership and cross-cultural understanding, "These experiences instilled in me a profound sense of responsibility to create inclusive spaces where every individual feels empowered to thrive," Jirel says.
Once she felt ready to take on more studies, Jirel sought out a program — and a country — that fit with those values. She felt Canada would be open and accepting, and the community engagement program at the U of A seemed like the perfect fit.
"The interdisciplinary nature of the program, along with its focus on social justice, equity and collaboration, aligned perfectly with my personal and professional values," Jirel says.
A people person at work
"The MACE program creates a feeling of belonging and connectedness," says professor Maria Mayan, vice-dean of the School of Public Health and associate director of the Community-University Partnership. "Students learn to lean on each other; they become each other's allies and cheerleaders. They have a strong identity as system thinkers and change makers."
Jirel made a strong contribution, says Mayan, thanks to her "eagerness to learn and careful thought."
"We had students from different backgrounds and different countries with a lot of experience working in communities," Jirel says. "Those presentations and discussions based on the experiences of these amazing individuals were among the most powerful parts of the course for me."
