A ROLE MODEL WOMAN
65 years old, Geeta Devi Kafle of "Janaklyan Women's Group", Mahottari district gave up the long held caste discrimination practice.
She has been a role model of the Khayarmara VDC of Mahottari district. Now she eats what so-called Dalit (Untouchable) people give her. She allows Dalits in her home. The women's group participated in the Cornerstones training and changed their philosophy toward the age-old caste discrimination practice.
In Nepali phenomenon the society is divided into caste groups with hierarchy. Those of the so-called higher caste (Brahmin, Chhetrri) discriminate against the lower caste (Dalits). The level of discrimination is inhumane to the effect that Dalits are considered untouchable and ostracized from the society.
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Success Stories
Sita Giri
A journey towards enlightenment
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After being inspired by positive changes in the women’s group, Sita Giri requested CARDSN, the project partner of Heifer Nepal, to assist women in her village. Then she went on to form Champadevi Women’s Development Group in her village, Bhadrutar, and provided leadership to the group in the role of a vice-president.
By January 2001, her group members received two goats each along with trainings on cornerstones, improved animal management, gender justice, self-help group management and environment preservation. Equipped with various trainings, Sita and her group started various community activities in the village like community vegetable farming, community forage nursery, construction and repair of trail road, community school buildings etc. Her group also started campaigns against girl trafficking, gambling, alcoholism and domestic violence. Sita also actively advocated on women nutrition and reproductive health.
In April 2002, she passed on gifts of buck and two goats to a needy woman in her community. She also provided 1000 sq. meter land to her group for community vegetable farming. She actively led her group in different fundraising activities to increase their group fund. However, it was getting difficult to manage the increasing fund amount since she was illiterate. After receiving the Values-based Literacy Program (VBLP) in 2000, which was a six-month long adult literacy class, she realized what she was missing due to the void of education in her life.
Sita Giri at the age of 23 chose classroom in the school when her friends her age were choosing bridegrooms. All her life, she was deprived of education because her family considered women’s education a mere waste. Sita joined the third grade in Bhedabari Primary School at Bhadrutar and inspired three more women to follow in her footstep. “Initially it was awkward to have four old students amidst young children in the classroom, but now everyone commends their courage and commitment. The young students have a lot to learn from them,” Arjun Giri, her school teacher remarks. Her academic progress has been so rapid that she got promoted to a higher grade and is now in the tenth grade. “It gives me immense joy to know that women of my community have begun to look up to me as an example of what one can accomplish with will and dedication,” says Sita. As an active member of the community Sita has also organized campaigns on various issues and led her group to build a community center.
Sita and her group also organized an awareness campaign with the slogan of "Every Parent’s Desire - Equal Opportunity and Education for Daughters.” The parents of Sita and her three friends were honored during that occasion for supporting their daughter to go to school. Sita's parents said that they were proud of their daughter’s courage and dedication and likewise her elder brother, "It is ironical that being a teacher I never thought about my sister’s education. Sita taught me a lesson, not be revolting, but by quietly pursuing her unfulfilled dreams."
Sita also played an important role to form five other women's groups, two men's groups and two youth groups. She also passed on a gift of trainings on cornerstones and group management to these groups. She has also been creating awareness on gender issues in her community.
With the income from goats, Sita gave scholarship to one girl child of her community. She encouraged other women in the group to participate in the Values-based Literacy Program and now all the members of her group are literate. They no longer have to use their thumbprints to sign documents.
Some other outstanding contributions from Sita to her community are:
- When one of her group members, Ambika Pathak's husband died, she donated NPR 1,000 ($ 14) and 10 kilograms of rice. Similarly, her group donated 12 days labor to cultivate mustard and wheat in the family’s land.
- When fire destroyed two houses in her village, her group helped with the chores for five days and donated some household utensils, grocery and NPR 5,000 ($ 71).
- She arranged a community picnic with an effort to end caste discrimination in the community.
Written in May 2005
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