Nepal, Nov. 17 -- Veera heard the alarm go off as she was brushing her teeth. With the toothbrush still in her mouth, she lightly rushed to her bed, where she'd left her phone, and hit snooze. A slight smirk automatically appeared on her face. She checked the time: 4:30 am. She'd woken up half an hour ago. Remembering how, when she'd just started doing this, the alarm's ringing had hit her head like a death knell, she felt proud at how far she'd come in just a couple of months. Feeling the spit increase in her mouth, she rushed back to the bathroom sink, spat out the mixture of spit and toothbrush, and washed her face.

Fifteen minutes later, she was ready. She'd worn tight leggings with green leg warmers over it, a white shirt tucked int...