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
Bimala Nepali
Fighting the odds of life
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Only a few years ago, Bimala Nepali, 43, would not have even dared to dream of having a concrete house with her pen filled with livestock and a kitchen stacked with nutritious food.
Bimala comes from a poor Dalit, so called untouchable, family at Dabaka village of Palpa district of Nepal. Born and then married to a community where caste and social discrimination was dominant, she had to face many difficulties in her life. As she got married to Chandra Bahadur Nepali, her life only became worse from bad. Her husband never loved her and always reprimanded her for no any fault. At the same time, her mother-in-law, blinded by ill-traditions, always tormented her and made her work from day to night without giving her proper food.
Her husband did not work and spent his days in drinking alcohol and picking fights with everyone in the house. They had very little land and the crops from it were hardly enough for a month. So apart from doing household chores, fetching water and grass from far away, she also had to work as a tailor in the mornings and daily wage labor in the daytime. The income generated from it was still not sufficient and they had to take loan in 60 percent interest. There used to be many days when her family got only one meal in a day.
Her problems were not limited to her home alone. She was looked down and ridiculed by the society as she belonged to Dalit community. The so-called higher caste people did not allow her in temples and to attend social events and gatherings. She was so looked down by the society that they refused to listen to her problems and suggestions.
In 1990, a women group was formed in her village with the initiation from villages and some social workers. The group was only involved in savings and credit activities until Heifer’s intervention in 2004. The group received a gift of two goats each along with grass seeds, medicines and skills from “Hamikhushi Women Group” which was funded by Heifer Nepal through Rural Economic Development Association (REDA), Heifer’s project partner. Similarly, her group also received trainings on group management, cornerstones, animal management, gender and Values-based Literacy Program (VBLP). She also got a chance to be a part of cross country study tour program. She says, “I gained confidence and learned to explore my potentials after seeing the success of other women during the study tours.” Heifer also provided scholarship to Bimala’s daughter in her ninth grade. She says, “Thanks to Heifer, today my daughter has already finished her School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exam.”
Today, her family does not have economic problems. With the income from goats, she has already passed on two goats to a needy family in her community and also made an income of Rs. 14,000. With the amount, she has bought a buffalo, sewing machine and started ginger cultivation. She has made 18,000 rupees from ginger farming, NRs. 25,000 from sewing and knitting and NRs. 8,000 by selling milk and ghee. With the income, she has been able to send her daughter to school and has constructed a tin roofed new house with a concrete toilet. Today, her husband has also quit drinking and has started a tailoring shop and shares her burden in household jobs.
After her economic problems ended, she has been able to give time for social development. She has taken a leadership in various committees in her village. She is a president of Mahila Jagaran Samuha, member of Bhaluwan Forest Consumer’s Group, member of Dabaka REDA Area Committee and member of Farmer’s Ginger Cultivation Cooperative. Reminiscing the past, she says, “When I was given the role of the president in my group, I couldn’t even talk properly in front of others. Today after various trainings from Heifer, I have gained confidence which has helped me to run our group efficiently.” She elaborated that the training helped her group to come out of various social ills. She said, “After the cornerstones training, we have stopped practicing caste discrimination in our group. In the past, other members used to discriminate against me as I belong to lower caste but today they respect me.”
Bimala has emerged as a leader in her community today. Her group members look up to her to solve problems and to take leadership role whenever needed. She credits cornerstones training and VBLP class for her success, both economic and social.
Written in June 2008
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