2
Rakshya Bam grew up in Kailali, a lowland district in Nepal’s far west, where the subtropical plains stretch toward the Indian border. The region is known for its dense sal forests and fertile fields, but after years of neglect it’s one of the country’s poorest areas.
Nepal is one of the youngest countries in South Asia, with a median age of 25.3 years (the US median age is 39.1). High fertility rates in previous decades have created a “youth bulge”—the largest in the region’s history. But…
