Ester Silwal came to Spokane, Washington for a better life in 2009, leaving her husband and family 7,000 miles away. She reunited with her husband, Shiva, in 2013 and has been coming to the Spokane County United Way tax site every year to get their taxes prepared for free.
In the past four years, a lot has happened for their little family.
The couple had a daughter, Sohna, who is now three years old and loving preschool. Just after their daughter was born, Shiva got a supervisor position at a retirement community on the South Hill. Last year, they purchased a small, two-bedroom home in Spokane, Washington. "We don't complain," they said. "It's good for our daughter that we have a house."
The Silwal family have faced a lot of adversity in their life together. Ester's grandparents were from Nepal, but she grew up in Bhutan. Because of her Nepali descent, her family wasn't welcome in either country. Ester met Shiva when she fled to Nepal, and after less than a year of marriage, Ester had no choice but to move to America for a more peaceful life. "Everything was difficult for me," she said, but she persevered.
Alone in Spokane, Ester got a job, bought a car, and moved into her own apartment. The couple was separated for more than three years, but eventually Shiva joined his wife in America.
When Ester and Shiva received the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), they were shocked.
"I didn't expect that much money,
but I am very happy! We need this."
They plan to use the money to fix up their house, sand to support family members back in Nepal. Shiva has five sisters back home, and three of them are in college. The Silwals worry about them, so every month they save some of their income to send back to family.
The Silwals' biggest worry right now is that Shiva is their only source of income. Ester is a stay-at-home mom, but she said, "I am very happy about who we are." The Silwals are excited to have such a generous tax return because they know it means a better future for their daughter and for their family members back in Nepal.
Brooke Smith - Story Capture Writer and Photographer
Spokane County United Way
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