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
Pathivara Women Group Itahari
Pathivara Women Group Itahari Women's Dairy Project
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Amidst a big gathering at Itahari, Nirmala Nepal, president of Pathivara Women Group handed over a purse of 11,000 ($ 157) rupees to Heifer Nepal staff to initiate a goat project in a nearby community. All the 11 members of the group donated 1000 rupees ($ 15) each, with a desire to help other needy women. The unfaltering spirit of passing on the gift demonstrated by these women was so overwhelming that it left the spectators speechless and brought tears in their eyes.
Pathivara Women Group was formed in 1998 in Itahari of Sunsari, eastern district of Nepal when 11 women, mostly migrants from eastern hills, banded together to improve their livelihood. Apart from a small thatched hut, most of the group members neither had land nor livestock to support their expenses. They had leased animals on fifty percent sharing basis while men worked as agriculture labors. Although, they worked all day long, it was difficult to meet the ends. Tattered clothes, undernourished and uneducated children, small dilapidated huts spoke loudly of their poor economic condition.
After the group was formed, they approached a daily cooperative in their area for assistance. Seeing their desire to work, Heifer implemented its buffalo project through micro-credit with minimal annual interest to be reimbursed by three years.
Their hard work paid off soon. They started generating good income from the sale of milk and started paying back their loan. Nirmala succeeded to pay her loan in eight months while other group members also paid their loan within 26 months. Their strong desire to pass on the gift early showed when they said, “We received buffalo from Heifer when we were in great need. We do not want other needy women to wait long for support because we know the pain of being poor.”
Along with the animals, they also passed on their knowledge that they received from trainings on cornerstones, group management, animal management and non-formal literacy class. Similarly, they also passed the values that they learned and it showed when the other group also completed their pass on within five to eleven months after they received the animal.
Today the dairy project is moving in full swing. Many women have benefited from the buffaloes passed on by these groups. The members of Pathivara Women Group can now backstop the new groups in their activities and also provide them trainings. “It is very satisfying to be able to pass on the gift and the feeling of being a donor is simply great,” said the group members equivocally.
Recognizing their dedication, Heifer Nepal honored them with National Level PoG Award in 2002. From the award amount, the group donated twenty percent to the cooperative to buy its own land. Similarly, they have also planned to utilize a part of award fund to build a community toilet for nearby Mushar tribe, a poor ethnic tribe of Nepal. Furthermore, the group has also planned to establish a hand pump for drinking water facility in the rural community at Rautahat, central Terai. They took this decision after visiting the community in the district and seeing their problem for drinking water. They envision continuing working for their society and empowering other women in the community.
Written in May 2002
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