Nepal’s Uprising and Canada’s Broken Promises: A Shared Struggle in Education and Work

 Nepal’s Uprising and Canada’s Broken Promises: A Shared Struggle in Education and Work

Right now, Nepal’s streets are filled with youth demanding justice. They are angry that the political elite send their children abroad — to Canada, Australia, the US, and the UK — for world-class education, while schools and universities at home are underfunded, corrupt, and collapsing. Ordinary young Nepalis are left with nothing but broken promises, unemployment, and censorship. Their rage has spilled into the streets, and the world is finally paying attention.

But here’s the truth: their fight is not just theirs. It is ours, too.

In Canada, many of our own young people dropped out of college or university during COVID just to survive. They worked long hours to help their families, and when the dust settled, tuition was even higher, housing was impossible to afford, and debt had only deepened. Canadian students are priced out of education while universities chase international tuition dollars to keep their doors open.

And who benefits? The same global elite who profit from moving students like pawns on a chessboard. Canada’s education system has become addicted to international fees, while the Nepali government lets its youth leave rather than fixing the system at home. It’s brain drain for Nepal, and a cash grab for Canada.

Meanwhile, Canada’s own workers face another betrayal. The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program has been abused by employers for years. Instead of hiring and training local people, companies exploit vulnerable foreign workers for cheap labor. The result? Canadians like me struggle to get fair work, while temporary workers are often mistreated and discarded when they speak up.

This isn’t just a story about Nepal. It’s about how corruption, greed, and inequality tie us all together in a global system that serves the rich and abandons everyone else.

So when we see Nepali youth rising up, we should not only stand in solidarity but also look inside. Their frustration is our frustration. Their fight for dignity is our fight, too.

Reflection Questions:

1. Who really benefits from the current international education system?
2. How does Canada’s reliance on international students harm both local and foreign students?
3. What changes are needed to make education and work fair in both Nepal and Canada?

Call to Action: It’s time to demand better — from our governments, our universities, and our employers. If youth in Nepal can stand up against corruption and inequality, then surely we can, too. The fight for dignity and fairness knows no borders.