Mamta Bajgain

Mamta Bajgain was only 9 years old when she and her family came to Cincinnati by way of the United Nations resettlement program as Bhutanese refugees. She was so young when they immigrated that she didn’t think much of their experience. And she didn’t talk about it, either.

“Even my close friends in high school, middle school, they didn’t know about it,” she says.

But later, when Mamta was a junior in college she was invited to see journalist Helen Thorpe speak about a refugee from Congo. Thorpe told the story of how this person went from refugee camp to a full-ride scholarship. Hearing this example of resilience, hard work, and courage in another gave Mamta awareness of how her story was actually remarkable.

“That’s when I realized […] I need to tell my story,” she says.

Mamta has since found great pride in sharing her own narrative, and the opportunity to support others who have been on similar journeys. Her work as a volunteer started in early high school when she worked with the Bhutanese community tutoring children. Initially, she was driven by the need for service hours for scholarships. But it didn’t take long for her to recognize that community service was to become a significant thread in her life.

“It grew into me,” Mamta says. “I felt like there was a lot of need in the community, and I felt like I needed to help them.”

More volunteer work followed. In college, Mamta worked at a nonprofit for domestic violence victims, and later began helping at the Nepali Language and Arts Center. In this role, she is able to support other immigrants and refugees. Mamta says that giving back to her expanded immigrant community will likely always take a front seat, because it’s the support that can make a difference for others on this journey—and she advises other immigrants to keep this in mind.

“Seek support from the immigrant community,” she says. “People are willing to help you.”

Mamta has also stepped into a community leadership role within her professional life. In the past, she has worked as a teacher, and is now in the process of opening an adult daycare center in Hamilton County. She saw a need for safe space where older people could gather and connect—particularly those within immigrant communities, where language barriers and other difficulties often keep them isolated. And although this career shift is a challenging move, it’s in line with Mamta’s second piece of advice to fellow immigrants.

“As immigrants, we often feel that we are not allowed to fail, but it’s better to try and fail than to never try at all,” she says. “Do not be scared by the idea of failure. Embrace it. Every setback is a chance to learn and grow.”

Opening an adult daycare center is a step towards building the Cincinnati that Mamta dreams of—one that is more diverse and welcoming for immigrants of all ages. She wants to see a city that empowers immigrants to make decisions and get involved in the community at large. Acknowledging, celebrating, and uplifting the cultures of our neighbors is a practice that Cincinnatians can embrace for a better, more inclusive city.