How does Chanda have low self esteem.

I actually don't see Chanda as having low self-esteem. Smart and spunky, Chanda is the backbone of her family. She serves as both narrator and protagonist of the story. As a girl, she dreamed of becoming somebody important, but she can't seem to catch a break. Her dad and brothers die when she's still very young. She is the one who keeps her family alive and well, to the best of her abilities, when her mom becomes ill.