New Group of Females(Kamlaris) Ready for Bridging Class

February 5th, 2007

Written in collaboration with Dipesh, NYOF Program Coordinator

 

The Kamlari girls return home for Maghi celebration in January.  FNC conducts awareness programs and different activities to stop these girls from being sent back to their place of servitude. Those that FNC manages to save are enrolled in bridging classes in central areas across the valley during February where they learn to read and write. Since none have attended school the bridging class brings the girls up to the point where they can enter regular classes by the next school year at a relatively age appropriate level.

 

 

 

New batch of children (Kamlari) enrolled in bridging class in February 2007. The IDP program is enrolling 280 new children in the year 2007.

 

Text Box: Front line - left to right: Rajani Choudhari is 13. She started to work as a Kamalri at 12 years of age in the adjoining Salyan district. She earned 12,000.00 Rupees at the rate of 1,000.00 per month for her family. Nirmali Choudhari does not know her age. She looks as young as 6 and was very shy. She worked as a Kamlari in a small town area in Dang district for a year. She had to take care of a young child. She does not know how much she earned. Sunita Choudhari is 12 and worked as a Kamlari for a year in nearby Pyuthan district. She earned 4,000.00 Rupees for her family. Rima Gharti, 12, belongs to a non Tharu family. She worked as a Kamlari in the same village where her family lived. On hearing of FNC’s support for education she came along with other Kamlari girls. She is not a targeted beneficiary of the program. However, FNC has been supporting such needy girls under a different program component. Kavita Choudhari is 13 and she also worked as a Kamlari in village where her family lived in Dang District for a year. Back line left to right: Phulmaya Choudhari, 16 years old started to work as a Kamlari in her own village after getting educated up to 5th grade. She was taken out of school and sold in bonded labor for several years. Ritu Choudhari is 17 and she attended non-formal education before leaving as a Kamlari. She worked in her own village for a year. Binu Choudhari is 15 and she has worked as a Kamlari for 5 years in different places; towns and villages. She also attended non-formal education. She does not know exactly how much she earned per year but she thinks it is around 7,000.00 Rupees. Rajpati Choudhari is 17. She worked as Kamlari for 1 year in the local area. She attended non-formal education before becoming a Kamlari. She earned 4,000.00 Rupees which was spent by her father to pay off debts. Prava Choudhari is 12. She worked as Kamlari for 2 years in the same district. She earned 6,000.00 Rupees per year. Each girl has a different story. However, there are some similarities; all stories are painful and all girls are forced to become Kamlari by their parents. Their family economic condition is extremely weak and parents want to get some earning from their daughters before they marry their daughters off. (Photo: Feb 3, 2007)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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