Indra Dulal was raised in rural Bhutan. One of eight siblings, he learned to speak English at high school. This helped prepare him for a lifetime of teaching, advocacy, language translation and community work.
In addition to English, Dulal moves between the languages of Nepali, Hindi, Dzongkha and Sanskrit and is a treasured mentor, JP, and community advocate in the former refugee community of Papaioea.
Dulal and his family spent 16 years in a refugee camp in Nepal, where he worked as a teacher in the school. He recalls "a very miserable life" with more than 22,000 people living in cramped conditions. There was no electricity, housing was in the form of emergency shelters, and summer temperatures reached up to 41C.
Dulal, his wife, four children, and his parents were part of the 2009 New Zealand refugee quota, and settled in Palmerston North.
Since 2012, Dulal has been involved in the community garden that was initially set up at Crewe Crescent, Hokowhitu, and was moved to Awapuni Community Centre in 2018.
Dulal's family has grown, and he is now the proud grandfather of four grandchildren. He is looking forward to planting potato and pumpkin crops as the soil warms, and watching them flourish.