Finding Her Way From Begging On The Streets To Becoming A Doctor: The Journey Of Pinki Haryan

Her journey from residing in extreme poverty to making a career for herself in medicine is the proof of her determination and the support she received that made it possible

From begging on the streets of Mcleodganj to becoming a medical graduate, Pinki Haryan has had quite a journey. Her life changed when she got noticed by Lobsang Jamyang, a Tibetan monk and director of the Tong-Len Charitable Trust based in Dharamshala, in 2004.

After recognising Haryan during a visit to the Charan Khud slum cluster, Jamyang met with her parents and convinced them to allow her to attend school, reported Moneycontrol. Her father, Kashmiri Lal, finally agreed after hours of persuasion from Jamyang.

Today, Haryan has a medical graduate degree from China and is currently preparing for an exam that will allow her to practice medicine in India. Her journey from residing in extreme poverty to making a career for herself in medicine is the proof of her determination and the support she received that made it possible.

After getting the greenlight from her father, Jamyang enrolled Haryan in Dayanand Public School in Dharamshala. She was also a part of the first batch of students at a hostel for destitute children set up by the trust in 2004.

After completing her senior secondary education, Haryan cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), however she wasn’t able to get enrolled in a private medical college due to the high fees. With help from the Tong-Len Charitable Trust in the UK, Haryan managed to find a spot at a medical college in China in 2018.

Recently, she returned back to Dharamshala after finishing her MBBS degree and is now preparing for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), needed to be able to practice medicine in India.

Looking back on her journey, Haryan said, “Poverty was the biggest struggle since childhood. It was painful to see my family in distress. As I got into school, I had an ambition to become successful in life. I always wanted to help my community.”

Following her example, her siblings have also enrolled in school now. Expressing her appreciation for Jamyang’s help, Haryan noted, “He had a vision to help destitute and poor children. He was the biggest support system I had while I was in school. His belief in me was a big inspiration to do well.”