When Saru Parajuli attends classes at the IBA International Business Academy in Kolding, she is more than 6,000 kilometers away from home. Normally, Saru lives in Nepal. She has traveled all this way because she truly dreamed of pursuing an education in Denmark.
“Education is the most important thing for me. It’s an investment in my future. At the same time, I wanted to experience a Nordic country. I could have chosen to study in the USA or England, but as a Nepali, we are already quite familiar with their cultures. Denmark was a more exotic choice for me,” she smiles.
The 23-year-old Nepali student is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Business Management. She hopes to complete the rest of her education in Kolding. If all goes well, she also plans to pursue her two-year master’s degree in Denmark.
These are high-level academic programs that can be challenging in themselves. But for Saru, there is another pressing challenge—finances. Because she is not an EU citizen, she must pay for her education at the IBA herself. She also doesn’t receive any student grants (SU) and must cover living expenses, including rent and food.
That’s why she is happy to have secured a cleaning job with Partners Service, where she works 11 hours a week alongside her studies at the IBA. Although it doesn’t cover all her expenses, it provides essential financial support.
“It took me a month to get that job. It was really tough because I walked all over Kolding, asking if anyone had work for me. In just one day, I applied to 40 places,” Saru recalls.
Most companies had no vacancies, and at others, the challenge was that Saru doesn’t speak Danish. However, she speaks English, which is fortunately sufficient for the cleaning company where she eventually got the job.
Education is the key
Saru lives in central Kolding with her husband, who works as a temporary warehouse assistant. They both hope that he will secure a more permanent position, so they won’t have to dip into the savings they brought from Nepal.
In Nepal, Saru worked at an insurance office, while her husband held a marketing job.
“I want to achieve something with my life, and education is the key to making that happen. I don’t have children yet, but if I succeed, life will be easier for them too,” says Saru.
