Kathmandu, Aug. 29 -- As the oldest of 11 siblings, Dorje Dolma spent most of her childhood taking care of her younger brothers and sisters as well as herding yaks and goats. This was in the early '90s, when Dolpo had just started seeing visitors. Rich local city dwellers and foreign travel enthusiasts had started to travel hundreds of kilometres just to witness Dolpo's pristine beauty, faraway in a corner in western Nepal.

While such changes were taking place for the country's tourism industry, 10-year-old Dolma was deprived of basic health and educational facilities. She would also be defending her cattle against predators, like wolves and leopards, she says. Almost three decades on, not much has changed for the people of Dolpo.

Recal...