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 Poudel
A determined community worker
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Sita Poudel was born and brought up in Chitwan district. In 1992 Sita Poudel brought together 24 women and ventured to bring an end to their life of drudgery and discrimination and formed a group called Namuna Women’s Group. Then they went to a local bank and requested for loan to begin some income generating activities. Their request for the loan got rejected because they didn’t have collateral. However, they were not disheartened and got determined to set an example. In 1993, Namuna Women’s Group became the first project group of Heifer Nepal for the Baruwa Goat Raising Project. The group members received one goat and two kids each along with training on cornerstones, goat husbandry, and improved forage seeds. The first women’s group formed another women’s group called Srijana Women’s Group in their community and passed on the gifts of goats and knowledge that they had received from Heifer Nepal. Sita moved on to Srijana Women’s Group and gave the opportunity to more needy women to receive livestock and other support first.
In her group, Sita was given the responsibility of a secretary. Sita dedicated herself in preparing the groundwork for the group so that they were capable of receiving the gifts of livestock and trainings to benefit from it. In 1994, they received the gift of goats along with trainings on cornerstones, goat husbandry and improved forage seeds from the first group.
Sita made her group members realize the importance of savings after which they began saving 25 rupees per month. Each group member is now eligible for Rs. 5,000 credit from the group fund to develop micro-enterprise with the interest rate of two percent. Loans have already been taken for the purchase of additional livestock, school supplies, home improvement, health care, and travel. The group savings is an excellent example of the sustainability and long-term effects of their goat project.
On behalf of her group, she joined a local animal feed cooperative Shri Bahumukhi Danachokar Cooperative. The group could buy feed at a bulk rate and also profit from the cooperative which would go to their group savings. Her group has found various ways of fund-raising like door-to-door campaigning, and singing and dancing at festival times, to increase the group fund.
Apart from income generating activities, the group has engaged in various community development activities. The group has carried out activities like regular community cleaning, tree plantation, road construction and repair, social awareness raising through campaigns, mediate during conflict and disagreement in the community, help community members with genuine need through cash and kind support. The group’s effort has set an example in the community.
In 1995, Sita was awarded second place as Best Farmer’s Group of Chitwan by District Agriculture Development Office in Bharatpur. Sita contributed part of her cash prize to the group fund.
When she started the goat venture, little was she aware that one day she would be a role model for all her achievement and commitment to the community. “Passing on knowledge and hope is the most valuable gifts we can give to anyone because we have an inexhaustible resource of that,” says Sita enthusiastically. She shows us that every individual has the capacity to make a big difference in the world we live in.
Written in June 1999
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