Kathmandu, Apr. 5: Miss Jeena Lingden (Limbu), who has the honour of being the first woman pilot from the Limbu Community, wants to open a school at her native village where children from the economically poor families will avail of free education up to the secondary level.

The desire and the commitment to open a school for the children of her native village took shape in Jeena’s mind through her own experience.

She says although born to a British Gurkha father in Hong Kong, she could not give continuity to her education due to some “Ups and Downs” in her academic career and this personal experience made her think of opening a school.

A native of Amarpur village in Panchthar district, Miss Lingden was born in Hong Kong 24 years ago. She just completed her two-months pilot training course from Florida of the United States a month back and became the first woman pilot in her community.

She also came to the limelight in the Florida press sometimes back putting aside the traditional belief that Nepali women could not achieve any big in their career.

The “Kirant Yakthung Chumlung”, an association of the Limbus which  conducts study and research into the history, religion, language, culture and the ancestry of all the 162 Limbu lineage, claims that Lingden is the first woman pilot from their community.

According to the Kirat Yakthung Chumlung, captain Kul Bahadur Limbu from Terhathum district is the first male pilot of the Limbu Community.

Captain K.B. Limbu who  flies boeing aircraft became the first male pilot from the Limbu community 15 years ago.

Proud of her great achievement pilot Lingden says- whereas my parents had wanted me to complete  upto the school level only and not become a spoilt child like the other children of “Lahures”, i studied a lot more than what my parents had wished.

Our family has proved wrong the notion that all the sons and daughters of “Lahures” (ex or serving British Gurkha Soldiers) are bad and a “spoilt” lot, she added.

Her elder brother Bijaya has recently completed his studies and become a medical doctor while her younger brother Bishal has done bachelors in commerce. There are five members in the Lingden family.  Rakshya Rana is the first Nepali woman pilot. There are at present ten women career pilots in Nepal.