Sarkal & Sunmoon Jyakhwa, Nepal: emPLANT and PlantHealth

It was a proud moment for my family when I and my sister received, in the same year, a prestigious scholarship to pursue a master's degree. I personally have never heard of this coincidence before.

I did my first year in France and the second in Finland, while my sister went to Spain and Italy. It was quite adventurous how we managed to stay together in Europe while studying, traveling, and making amazing friends during our Erasmus journey. It was thanks to several internship programs that we were able to be together in the same country. I had an opportunity to visit six European countries and stayed in four of them with my sister for a longer span. This was a blessing, indeed.

The Erasmus Mundus program has given us countless memories, academic excellence, and numerous opportunities for future careers. But here, I would like to share something beyond academics. This scholarship has turned my friends into my sister’s closest friends and hers into mine.

The Erasmus Mundus program has given us countless memories

We have both lived with French families who made us feel at home with their love and care. We shared meals with them and they introduced us to their culture. A special mention to my two dearest French friends, Henri and Priscilla, who will always remain close to my heart; the great memories I made with them will be engraved in my mind forever. I mean, how could I possibly forget the camping experience with Priscille in Bretagne while traveling across France and those Christmas moments with Henri in the Santa Claus village in Finland?! Now, we exchange messages through postcards even in this modern era. And it is always so much fun. I hope they visit us soon in Nepal.

So many emotions are flooding in, but I will end it with a simple “Thank you Erasmus Mundus!“