Rejected by Her Whole Family, This Girl Became a Thriving Model and Proved Everyone Deserves Happiness

Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, and some easily overcome life’s obstacles with the help and support of their nearest and dearest. But some life stories and roads to success start with complete loneliness, struggle, and even rejection. Our featured heroine is a vivid example of how a person can overcome deep pain and loss in their life, and instead of breaking to pieces, they can climb the ladder to stardom.

The thorny road started in childhood for Anjali Lama.

Anjali Lama spent her early years in the small town of Nuwakot in Nepal. At that time, she was Nabin Waiba, a little boy who just started experiencing his gender. And that was when all the struggles began.

In her interview, Lama revealed, “My behavior was always questioned under the rules of gender stereotypes. I was limitlessly close to my mother and would always befriend the girls in school. This brought me huge criticism while I was very confused by it all.”

A desire to be herself only brought her loss and rejection.

Lama found out what rejection was when she decided to get a job. She moved to Kathmandu for college at the age of 18, and in order to pay for her studies, she took up a serving job. But her hotel decided to fire her ruthlessly, explaining that her “feminine behavior” made their guests feel uncomfortable. Lama recalled, “The most shocking part was that urban Nepal had the same attitude, in spite of there being more awareness there.”

Then she decided to join the trans community, known as the Blue Diamond Society. Only there did she find some answers and get the courage to embrace herself. She started believing that unconditional love was waiting for her on the other side.

“That was the turning point, and the thought of getting closer to my truth and real self gave me the courage to come out,” she says.

She lost all her family in just one day.

From the very start, Lama knew that she would face criticism and bemusement from her peers. They wouldn’t be able to understand why she wanted to change her gender. But when she finally made the decision to transition, she didn’t have even the tiniest bit of support from her own family. Her parents and siblings weren’t in favor of the move and chose to just cut her off.

But the strong woman kept her chin up, explaining, “It feels amazing to live as the real you. I am a person with strong determination, an attitude to never give up, with an ability to choose people wisely who can encourage me to prosper.”

Lama was finally rewarded with a happy ending for all the loss she went through.

Starting a new life gave Lama the chance to reinvent herself. She had a magazine cover shoot for the Nepali magazine, Voice of Women. This experience only made her believe that modeling was her real calling in life. But the decision-makers of the modeling sphere were initially unsure about her eligibility as a model and also as a human being.

Lama said, “Transgenders are treated a little unfairly everywhere — be it jobs or accommodation, nothing comes easily to us. I’ve had to listen to harsh words of some clichéd minds.”

She had to go through 2 crushing rejections, and then she found out about the Lakme Fashion Week model auditions from their Instagram. She mailed them and got a “Yes!”

Now Anjali Lama has a thriving modeling career and her name is quite recognized. She was also featured in the documentary, Anjali: Living In Someone Else’s Skin. She has also become part of the Calvin Klein campaign but still has bitter feelings about her family.

She said, “I certainly missed my family and friends. Had they been here, the fun and excitement would have quadrupled. It’s sometimes scary to be alone but I feel happy with the success I have got. I always keep myself busy to keep peace with myself.”

What is your impression after reading Anjali Lama’s story? Who is your personal role model to follow in terms of achieving success despite all of life’s hurdles?