Final Report FormWomen’s Transformative Leadership InitiativeA. Your Group: Contact and Financial Information1. Please review the information we have for your organization. Please indicate any changes to this information:Kamaiya Pratha Unmalan Samaj[Kailali District, Nepal]Basanti Choudhary#7, Campus Road, DhangadiKailali District, Far-Western RegionNepal (Country calling code: 977)977 091 523756 [Ph]; 977 9841200066 / 977 9848658154 [Cell]pkdahal@yahoo.com, kpus@ntc.net.np2. Who is the best person within your organization for us to contact with any follow up questions about this report? (Please list their name and email address.)

1. Ms. Basanti Choudhary kpus@ntc.net.np/basanti2063@gmail.com

2. Mr. Ram Chandra Chaudhary kpus@ntc.net.np/ rc.chaudhary67@yahoo.com

3. Please attach a page showing your group’s actual income and expenses over the past year, specifically listing all sources of revenue. (It is not necessary to include copies of receipts.)

Please refer to copies of Audit Report attached with this Final Report Form. The Audit Report 2013 however doesn’t cover income and expenditures of the fund received from CECI/World Bank for a program called Rural Accountability in Nepal (PRAN) of which KPUS chosen to be local implementing partner. It is a 7 month long pilot project to be implemented by KPUS from September 9, 2013 in 2 VDCs of Kailali, namely Phulbari and Hasuliya. The total Budget for the project is NPR 827620/ (US$ 8270 approx). It is restricted funding agreed upon after rounds of difficult negotiation. KPUS had originally proposed a just budget of US$ 12000 for the implementation of the activities in two VDCs. At the end of the day, we had no choice but to settle to US $ 8270 as the World Bank grantee CECI reportedly overstretched the grant fund and gave it to two more organizations other than those originally chosen as eligible partners. We still went for this project as it aimed at improving governance and social accountability among service providers at the village level and thus empowering service seekers. This project was very important for us. The project will be audited next year. We will send you a copy of it. The attached Audit Reports however covers income and expenditures of the fund we received from Lutheran World Federation and Global Fund for Women in the year 2013.

a. For the year covered in your financial report, what percentage of your actual income was unrestricted (meaning NOT for a specific project)?

Approximately 20 percent

B. Data About Your Activities – General Information:Please provide the following information on your activities during the grant period.1. How many people participated in your programs during the grant year?a. Number of women: 254b. Number of girls: 230c. Number of men: 80d. Number of boys: 49e. Total number of people who participated: 613

Note: This number represents people directly involved in KPUS program organized at district headquarters (Training, Liberation movement and Protest campaign). The population of Kamaiyas (former agrarian slave labor) and Kamlaharis (former domestic slave labor) who showed solidarity with KPUS protest march demanding fair probe into murder of Srijana Choudhary, a Kamlahari, and participated in protest march and liberation day rally at the village level but couldn’t make it to the district for several reason, yet still, who participated in all KPUS activities at the community level led by KPUS Mool Samiti (Main Committee) in over 6 dozen Kamaiya camps across 15 VDCs, have not been included here. The Mool Samiti (Main Committee) didn’t count the numbers.

4. How many women or girls, if any, strengthened their leadership capacity by participating in your programs during grant year? (Please provide both a number and a description of how their leadership capacity was strengthened and how you know that it is stronger now.)

A total of 15 young women (former Kamlaharis) picked from 15 VDCs (Lowest Administrative Unit in Nepal’s administrative structure) namely; Bhajani, Pathraiya, Kota Tulsipur, Sandepani, Urma, Sripur, Durgauli, Chaumala, Joshipur, Darakh, Chuha, Masuirya, Gadariya, Baliya and Hasuliya, were provided 4 weeks long Leadership training. They have gone back at their VDCs.

The training package was made of several modules (i) National Laws (Nation al Civil Code, Law Against Forced Labor, Laws Against Domestic Violence, Laws concerning Violence Against Women, Early Marriage Penal Code, Anti-trafficking laws, Laws governing Women’s Rights to property, Laws governing Equal Wage to Equal work, Indigenous People’s Rights etc.), (ii) International protocols and UN Charters (CEDAW, UDHR, UN Social and Economic Rights, Anti-trafficking Protocol, Universal Declaration on Child Rights), (iii) State’s existing Administrative service structure and mechanism, (iv) Legal Remedy service structures (Judicial and Quasi-judicial bodies), (v) Law Enforcing Agencies (Police, FIR registration, procedure, affidavit writing), (vi) Legal Support services available in the district (Nepal Bar, Human Rights Lawyers), (vii) Networking (HR groups, WR Groups, District based international non-government organizations i.e. LWF Nepal, Plan, WOREC, and both print and electronic media, (viii) Nepal Government’s Development bodies (DDC, District Education Office, Women and Children office, Land Conservation and Reform Office) etc.

The trainers and resource person comprised of Chief Administrative Officer, Superintendent of Police, District Court Judge, District Education Officer, Local Development Officer, Women and Children Officer, Regional Director of National Human Rights Commission, Attorneys,

Lawyers, HR Groups, Media, and Women Rights Activists, International organizations like Lutheran World Federation, Plan International, Human Rights Defenders’ network, and Civil Society representatives and so on.

At the end of 4 weeks long Leadership training, all 15 trainees were taken on visits to State’s district headquarter-based Government Service Agencies to get firsthand knowledge of how they work there.

During the close training sessions, former Kamlaharis were found charged firing questions at Superintendant of Police, Chief Administrative Officer and District Court Judge. The training sessions were largely participatory involving rigorous group work, role-playing and simulating real life situations, the resource persons representing Government service agencies however spent more time lecturing them on services they provide to people.

The trainees threw questions at Superintendent of Police asking why they rained batons on their heads and leave them bleeding in spite of the fact that the citizens acted within constitutional limits while carrying out peaceful protest and expressing their views. Why the police refuse to register FIR under one or the other pretext in rural villages and turn victims away. Why they keep people in illegal detention and file no charge sheet, neither do they produce the accused before the court. Why have police failed to curb trafficking of women and girls across the border in spite of the law and law enforcing agents. When commoners violate law, police turn them in but when the cops found guilty of misconduct i.e. rape, sexual assault, and bribery, why no actions are taken against them.

Similarly, District Court Judge came under flurry of questions from trainee Kamlaharis. Why are the victims made to wait for all eternity for justice that is hard to come to them? Why it is so that violators more often than not let off making mockery of law and the victims? Why is it that the judicial system is widely seen as the one siding with the rich and powerful and the poor and weak are often at the receiving end. Why the abusers and murderers of Kamlaharis in yesteryears were not convicted and sentenced? Why are so many holes in the laws that allow criminals to get off the hook? How might the Court help people get rid of corrupt law enforcing agents who work hand in glove with criminals, file no cases against them, and even when they fall into police net, they make hole in the net by producing purposely weak evidences against them? The Chief District Administrator too was grilled with loads of questions. Why is the administrative process so slow in service delivery? Why do the junior office clerks and section officers complicate the whole procedure of service seeking and procrastinates works under one or the other pretext? Why do people always need to pay extra to get the work done? Why do common people always need to take extreme measures like staging hunger strike and sit-ins to get the Administration staff working? Can we ever get rid of this corrupt culture?

Towards the end of Leadership training, the trainees were handed out set of question sheet to fill up. The questionnaire was designed to test their post-training learning and acquired knowledge and capacities. Their responses were good. They gave impression that they were immensely empowered and expressed their eagerness to take charge of their respective VDCs in doing works like awareness-

raising, monitoring, tracking, documenting and pursuing cases of all form of violence against Kamaiya women and Kamlaharis.

They have been asked to do voluntary services for few months in raising awareness level of women in camps, identifying rights issues, monitoring and tracking cases of violence against Kamaiya women and Kamlahari, coordinating with KPUS, collaborating with HR Groups and Women Rights networks, filing FIR, doing lobbying and advocacy works, building movements around issues, rallying Kamaiya and Kamlaharis around it. They are provided resource kits, bags, resource materials, and so on. KPUS will pay for all actual expenses like transport, stationery and communication incurred by them during the process they lead. As for the stipend of US$ 100 a month for each of them to pay for services they do, KPUS is committed to pay them sooner than later once the organization have fund available to pay for them.

In classroom test all 15 Kamlaharis have fared well, some are incredibly good while others just okay. As they have just got back to their VDCs, they are yet to be tested how they perform in real life situations.

5. If your organization works with other organizations (for example, if you are a network or “umbrella group” or if your provide training to other groups), please report how many organizations increased their capacity through your efforts? (Please provide both a number and a description of how their capacity was strengthened and how you know that they are stronger now)

KPUS Chairwoman Basanti Choudhary has been a Trainer who received ToT from the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR). She represented KPUS as trainer in several training programs organized by different groups/organizations in and around Kailali district.

In the year 2011, she provided training to 35 community women from Lalboji VDC of Kailali during a 3 days training program on Gender and Women organized by Women Rehabilitation Center (WOREC), Kailali.

In the year 2012, she provided training to 25 Women Rights Activists picked from around Kailali district during a training program on Women Rights organized by Women Rights Defender Network, Kailali

In the year 2013, she provided training to 175 indigenous community groups from five districts namely Siraha, Dang, Bardiya, Kapilvastu, and Rupandehi on Climate Change and Its Impact on Indigenous People organized by Federation of NGOs of Indigenous people

It is possible to tell with some degree of sureness about capacity increase of trained people from Kailali district but it would be a bit far-fetched to speak about groups living in far flung districts. KPUS was part of training activities and not involved in monitoring its impact.

The increased awareness about women rights, series of successful movements in protest of women rights violations in Kailai district, community women coming out of their household

confines and speaking up against violence committed against women, movements like Equal Wage to Equal Work, number of cases registered with the police, cases filed in the Court of law, and attitudinal changes brought about in men, treating women with increased dignity and respect, may be some of the indicators that evidence increased capacity of women. C. Data About Your Activities – Issue Area Focus:Below are some required questions specific to your area of work.For each response, please provide both a number, and a written description of whatthe number represents. Each question refers to your organization’s activities, supported through the grant from GFW, during the grant year.If you list a percentage increase or percentage decrease (For example: women’s income increased by 30%), please also give the baseline and end line numbers (for example, last year, women in the project were earning about $300/month on average, by the end of this year, they were earning $390/month.)

1. What is the percentage increase (or decrease) in people rejecting violence against women or girls in your target group? (For example, at the beginning of the year, 35% of the fathers-to-be in our outreach groups stated that they did think beating your wife could be justified. In a survey of attitudes at the end of year, only 5% still felt this way.)

KPUS is yet to carry out survey as the 15 young former Kamlaharis trained in leadership have just begun their work in 15 VDCs that house 65 Kamaiya camps. A year in real action by trained leaders will create the right time for impact assessment.

KPUS has been engaged in 65 Kamaiya camps spread over 15 VDCs of Kailali district for over the past 15 years. In the immediate aftermath of liberation (end of Kamaiya (slave labor) system through parliamentary declaration), Kamaiya women and Kamlaharis were put through the worst form of violence targeted against Kamaiya and Kamlaharis. Those who stood against emancipation of Kamaiya and Kamlahari system were directly and/or indirectly involved in spate of crimes that swept Kamaiya camps soon after liberation.

Years of intervention, pushing for end of all forms of violence against them, registering complaints with police and filing cases in the Court of Law, calling for equal wage to equal work irrespective of sex, launching movement for women’s equal rights over property, lobbying with Government for joint ownership over land given to Kamaiyas under rehabilitation scheme, demanding just and proportionate women representations in Consumer Groups, School Management Committee, Health Management Committees, Forest Users’ Groups, etc. and empowerment training to Kamaiya and Kamlahari women have significantly brought down violence against Kamaiya women and Kamlaharis over the years. The rights violations committed by State security forces and Maoist rebels during the decade-long conflict in and around kamaiya camps once again drove up violence rate. By our reckoning, KPUS experience working with Kamaiyas and Kamlaharis over the past 15 years and unbroken engagement with them through our Mool Samiti (Main Committee) has brought the rate of violence against women from 100 percent down to 20 percent.

The violence rate in and around Kamaiya camps is currently put at roughly 16 to 18 percent (Source: Women Rights Defender’s Network).

After the 15 young women leaders complete one year of service in the VDCs, KPUS plans to carry out survey to determine prevalent violence rate against Kamaiyas and Kamlaharis. We will come out with report applying different indicators like number of cases filed in the Court of Law, FIR registered with the police, cases decided in favor of victims, number of movements built around issues, number of campaigns, cases settled out of Court and so on. That would mirror changes come about over the period based on empirical data both in terms of reduction of violence and change in men’s attitude and behavior towards Kamaiya women and Kamlaharis.

2. How many women or men were active in the cause of working to address violence against women/ gender based violence? (For example, approximately 5500 people joined in the march that we organized to protest violence against women.)

Approximately 500 women and little less than 150 men were directly involved in the protest march led by KPUS around the district headquarters protesting murder of Srijana Choudhary, a Kamlahari, and demanding just and fair probe into her suspected murder. They included, apart from Kamaiyas and Kamlaharis, HR groups, Women Rights groups, rights network, civil society, media and even international organizations like LWF Nepal, Plan International showed solidarity with us. Double this number participated in the protest march organized at VDC level where Kamaiyas and Kamlaharis from 65 camps took extreme measures like blocking the highway, halting traffic to put pressure on authorities to heed their demand.

In the liberation day rally approximately 300 Kamaiya and Kamlaharis hit the street of District headquarter calling end to violence against Kamlaharis, just and judicious rehabilitation of landless Kamaiyas, a life of dignity to Kamaiya women and Kamlaharis. The VDC based Mool Samiti (Main Committee) led rallies of Kamaiyas and Kamlaharis across 15 VDCs. The number of Kamaiyas and Kamlaharis participating in the rally is guess-estimated to be at 1200.

3. Were any specific laws or policies (at local, national, or international levels) passed or strengthened to address gender-based violence, including on domestic violence, sexual violence, trafficking, etc.? If so, what, if any, role did your organization in getting the changes made? (For example, the Anti-Trafficking Bill finally passed this year, we have been part of a coalition lobbying for it for 10 years. Or, Because of our advocacy, the city’s police department now has a new policy that requires training on responding to domestic violence for all policeOfficers)

June 20, 2013, Government of Nepal, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare issued a press communiqué that reaffirmed;

a. We affirm Kamlaharis are free citizens of the country on par with others and the Government of Nepal shall soon do everything at its disposal for elimination of all barriers chaining them,

b. All debts to be owed to masters by parents of Kamlahari are declared null and void with effect from today. The family of Kamlahari need not pay back any debt whatsoever

June 10, 2013, a 10 point Agreement reached between Joint Struggle Committee of former Kamlaharis and Government of Nepal resulting from 19 days of Kamlahari struggle all over the country;

1. To find out the truth about the death of Srijana Choudhary 13, resident of Dang district Ward No. 8, Lalmatiya VDC, at rented apartment of Youvraj Poudel, a high level Probe Committee shall be constituted immediately and commissioned to probe into her death, and those found guilty shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law of the land,

2. All medical bills of Kamlaharis injured in course of peaceful protest staged before Singh durbar (seat of Government) on June 5, 2013 shall be paid by the Government of Nepal,

3. Pending investigation report and recommendation by High Level Probe Commission, the Government of Nepal shall provide NPR 500,000 (US$ 5000 approx) as interim relief to the family of deceased Srijana Choudhary,

4. As far as the disappearance of Kamlaharis working as domestic servant at different periods of time is concerned, a High level Probe Committee shall be formed within 10 days from signing of this agreement, and the Committee shall get to the bottom of truth shrouding death of Sarita Choudhary of Tikapur 9, Kailali, Seema Hoja Magar, Rampur, Dang, Urmila Rana Tharu, Kailali 8, and Meghi Choudhary of Chaumala VDC, Kailali.

5. Acknowledging the need for increase in volume of scholarships provided to former Kamlaharis, the Education Directives 2011 shall be revised as required respecting the budget limits to maximize benefits to former Kamlaharis,

6. Since Kamlahari practice is prohibited by the law of the land, Council of Ministry shall leave no stone unturned to rescue girls kept as Kamlahari at various places and initiate process for their rehabilitation, and take stern legal actions against those found guilty of keeping Kamlaharis,

7. A process of issuing ID cards to liberated Kamlaharis shall be initiated with immediate effect,

8. Necessary measures will be taken to identify children born of rape and/or sex abuse while their young mothers working as Kamlaharis, and their rights over property of the violator and rapists shall be established,

9. Those detained during the protest movement in the event of the death of Srijana Choudhary in several districts of the country will be set free immediately,

10. The Joint Struggle Committee shall call off all further protest programs with immediate effect

(This is a quick translation of the agreement details reached between the parties in Nepali)

D. Progress toward GoalsIn this section, we want to know more about how your organization is progressing towards its goals and particularly, any goals that you specifically identified for the funding from Global Fund for Women.1. In your proposal, you identified some specific goals for your organization this year. Did you meet those goals? Select one.

a. Yes, we met or exceeded our goals.b. We met some but not all of our goalsc. We did not meet our goals.

Please explain your progress toward these goals. For each goal, please share an update, and discuss how your plans may have changed or if progress stalled. We are also interested in learning about how you modify your goals as needed and about how you address challenges to your goals.

On the whole we are satisfied with what we have been able to do. We were successful to deliver on promises we made to Global Fund for Women outlined in our original proposal seeking grant application. Our every step right from the selection of 15 former Kamlahari from 15 VDCs of Kailali district housing 65 Kamaiya camps for 4 weeks long residential training in district headquarters, our hundred percent success in getting Chief of Government Service Agencies act as resource person, trainers from a wide spectrum worked hard in developing training materials, fool-proof security arrangement, comfortable accommodation and good food, safe transport, efficient logistic support, everything went as planned.

We set top three priorities and objectives for the next three years. They were:1. Bring down all forms of violence against Kamlaharis, in particular, and Kamaiya women,

in general, and bring perpetrators to justice2. Women Maoist fighters back home take to doing constructive works, receive lawful

protection and gain a dignified life,3. Educating Kamaiya girl children

In respect of the # 1 objective, we achieved some mileage. The 19 days struggle waged by Joint Struggle Committee of former Kamlaharis culminating in Agreement reached between the Joint Struggle Committee and the Government of Nepal speak volumes of it. In addition to that the press communiqué issued by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare reaffirms the Government’s commitment to see end to violence against Kamlaharis.

The achievement is an indicator to the fact that we have moved one step forward in our struggle for a life of dignity to Kamlaharis who were put through all the downsides of life. While it works as an inspiration for us as well as for Kamlaharis, we only understand it too well that we should keep up the fight for total and complete liberation, or else the situation may relapse to old state.

The situation in Nepal continues to be volatile. Interim government led by Supreme Court Justice with no parliament for check and balance breeding uncertainty and chaos is hallmark of existing situation in Nepal. Had the parliament been there and an elected government with mandate in place, we’d have achieved much more than what we have had. Non-elected interim governments are least accountable. Nevertheless, we have reason to be satisfied with what we have done so far in respect of objective # 1.

In respect of #2 objectives, a team of KPUS Board of Directors and Volunteers have just returned the completed questionnaires purposely structured for collecting information on the

UNMIN (United Nations Mission to Nepal) derecognized Kamaiya and Tharu women fighters and hence not qualified for Government rehabilitation package under golden handshake scheme following comprehensive peace agreement with the Maoists. We managed to gather information from all available ex-women combatants living in and around Kamaiya camps and have just begun processing, data-entry and analyzing them. KPUS Team went around all 65 Kamaiya camps spread over 15 VDCs and the adjoining areas with the purpose of exclusively interviewing those Kamaiya and Tharu women fighters who were part of Maoist army at some point of time and returned home empty-handed with shattered hopes to live with stigma, frustration, despair, and a look of hatred in the eyes of neighbors. They have been let down by the Maoists party which twice led the government and are ostracized by society, for the UNMIN refused to recognize them as fighters (on grounds of age, poor credentials) and thus disqualified them for rehabilitation package.

It is important for us to launch programs aimed at de-stigmatizing them, creating opportunity for dignified livelihood options through skill and resource access, reviving hope and a zest for life, and doing advocacy and lobbying with the Government to bring its attention to these unfortunate women.

We have been able to identify them, determine their population across 15 VDCs, their condition, traumatic experiences they underwent, pangs of regret and remorse they live with, their choices and preferences in life, so on and so forth.

Once the study is complete, we will develop program for these disqualified Kamaiya and Tharu women fighters based on empirical findings and explore resources to fund it. We think we are doing the right thing towards achieving objective # 2.

In respect of objective # 3, KPUS mobilized its team of volunteers to carry out study on school-going and not-going daughters of Kamaiyas across all 15 VDCs. The team went to primary schools located in Kamaiya camps and outside it and also the community and gathered valuable information using set of questionnaires. We understand that those not in classrooms are the vulnerable ones most likely to land up at homes of masters/landlords to serve as Kamlaharis. The Government of Nepal (refer to 10 point agreement) has pledged to offer scholarships to former Kamlaharis. However, these little girls don’t yet come under category of Kamlaharis and hence not entitled to Government ID cards. That means they are not qualified to scholarships meant for former Kamlaharis. They would be qualified for scholarships once they undergo the vicious cycle, serve as Kamalaharis, and eventually rescued. Principally, primary education is free in the country. But that is in papers only. Practically, there are numerous hurdles on way of these girls to receive education.

We want to reduce their vulnerability by enabling them to go to schools and prevent them from becoming a Kamlahari. We have developed a strategic program and opened negotiations with donors operating within the country to fund our program targeted at girls likely to end up as Kamalaharis. So far, we have not been able to do much for them besides carrying out a study on number of Kamaiya daughters not going to school. Our findings say 10-15 girls in every Kamaiya camps are currently school not-going.

3. How important was this general support grant from the Global Fund for Women in making progress on your goals this year? (Select one.)a. Not importantb. Somewhat importantc. Very important4. Did your organization increase its capacity in any way this year? (Staff capacity, advocacy capacity, technological capacity, infrastructure, etc.)

It did. We for the first time in the history of the organization organized such a long 4 weeks residential training. It was a big challenge as we didn’t have the experience. We were bit jittery about it. Our training coordinator with active support from Board members and staff did a commendable job. Her capacity to organize such training, coordinate with different stakeholders, work with Government authorities, and collaborate with different networks is undoubtedly enhanced. It honed her skill, boosted confidence, and built capacity to organize training effectively and efficiently.

5. If your organization increased its capacity, how important was the grant from the Global Fund for Women to this increase in capacity? (Select one.)a. Not importantb. Somewhat importantc. Very important6. Do you have any feedback for GFW about how we can best support your work?

Well, we’d like to make two suggestions. Firstly, we’d be immensely benefitted if someone from Global Fund for Women or on its behalf visit us and see our work, assess its quality, and give feedbacks.Secondly, if it is possible that Global Fund for Women create opportunity for our Young Women leadership (former Kamlaharis) get some exposure by visiting places and meeting fellow women rights activists and apprising of the work they do there.

E. Learning about LeadershipIn this section we hope to learn from you about the factors that support women and women’s organizations to become transformative, effective leaders.

1. How does your organization advance women’s leadership, either collectively or as individuals?

We follow the nature’s way. We believe in order to learn how to swim one must take the risk of diving into waters but of course not without safety net to reduce the risk of drowning as some amount of risk are always present there. We believe you can’t learn swimming by sitting on the safety of the bank and watching people swimming. We put would-be leaders on front seat and ourselves take back seat. We put them into real action acting as leaders with ourselves backstopping them. We link them with our network of allies, partners, alliances, and collaborators and expose them to different stakeholders (Government line agencies) and of course, KPUS is always with them. This is how we advance young women leadership.

2. What have you learned about what kinds of strategies are most effective for advancing women's leadership?

Building interface (bringing them face to face) with those very people and agencies that are most likely to sow thorns on their way of becoming leaders. Bringing them face to face with the Government authorities (police, administrators and Judge) remove fear and build confidence. Because, it is these people and service agencies that they frequently need to work with. We witnessed how former Kamalaharis trainee threw barrage of questions at Superintendant of Police, Judge and Administrator. A visit to their working stations i.e. Police station, Administration Office and Court is an added advantage. Effective leadership is gained through increased level of confidence backed by information, knowledge, strategic planning and continued struggle in the face of all odds. So far, we find it as an effective strategy.

3. Please share a story of an individual woman who has participated in your programs and who has increased her personal leadership capacity. How has she changed? What factors helped her to become a leader? What changes have resulted from her leadership? For her, what was the moment of transformation?

Rekha Choudhary Age 17, former Kamlahari and Leadership trainee from Joshipur # 3, Ram Nagar Kamaiya Camp, shared her story in pre-training and post-training sessions with us. She wrote her story in Nepali language which we did our best to translate capturing her spirit.

I’ll lead the battle for dignity of my sisters unto death, Rekha Choudhary

I blame poverty and my own irresistible zeal for education conspiring against me and wresting me away from safe arms of my parents and landing me at the master’s house which was a hell on earth, if ever there is one. I got in the shoes of Kamlahari (domestic slave labor) at the age of 11. My master had promised me school enrolment. In fact, the master had just bluffed my parents into sending me with him. He’d no such intention. We had a family of ten. Kamaiyas own no land, live by laboring. Everyone knows it. It grew increasingly difficult for two of them to scrape a living for ten people as we grew. Then, I remember walking to school alongside my elder brothers and sisters. My father pulled all of us back from school and turned us into Kamaiya and Kamlahari. He had no choice and neither had we. We were to step into his shoes by need and by feudal system that was in practice. It

was as simple as that. I had no reason to grumble about it, for I was promised school education under the deal. I was taken to Nepalganj (a town in west Nepal approximately 200 km away from Kailali) to work at the house of one Ganesh Rai. I had braced myself for all eventualities because the brighter side of the deal was education. To me, it was like a rose amid thorns. I told myself you have to take bad with good. I was a wisp of girl, small and fragile which I still am. The worst nightmare of my life came right from day two of my arrival. If I was discovered in the bed after 3 in the morning, bucket of cold water would do the job of waking me up. It would take me to hang all stuff out on the line to dry. Not doing that will mean sleeping on wet bed. The bed time was not before 11 PM and not before every member of the family fallen into slumber. The icy floor of verandah was my bed room. The first thing I had to do after rise was to remove the stuff I slept on and sweep the floor and swill it out with water. They made me feel like a Kamlhari crashing out about the verandah was similar to a mutt urinating over a roadside stone God. I defiled their holy house every night and sanctified it every morning. I had to collect up the bed linen and nylon mat smelling fusty and store them away into some dark corner of the house as though they could cause plague to the family. During the winter, they gave me a ragged blanket far older than me with eight holes altogether in it to fight the cold. I’d pull it over me, curl up and struggle to sleep. I wore one and the same clothe day in and day out for 18 months of my slavery at the master’s house. The winter was a real killer. I’d pray God to take it away. I’d shiver with cold and my nose ran and teeth chattered so much all the time. It drained my energy and I got slow at work and that made the mistress come down on me like a ton of bricks. The winter turned me slow and them angry and the master and mistress would scream and curse at me every day. I’m proud of my ears that survived tons of curses flying out of their mouth. They never did so much as to send me to school. My bringing up the school issue would blow the top of the mistress of the house and she would jab a finger at me threatening to take me to Kathmandu (even colder place) if I ever spoke a word about my condition to anyone. My heart shuddered with fear at the sight of her. I’d have this uncanny feeling that this woman had heart of stone and she could go beyond all

boundaries of cruelties humans are capable of. I knew I’d freeze to death in those clothes if they trafficked me away to Kathmandu. I didn’t want to die at this age miles away from my parents and my village. So, the wisest thing for me to do was to keep my mouth shut like a dumb girl because a word falling from the mouth of a slave girl was like china crashing down on the floor. They treated me like dirt. Sometimes I’d really get confused about if I were a human being like them. One day the mistress’ mother-in-law asked me to dig the garden. I pleaded with her that my hands were cold as ice and can’t curl around the hoe. ‘You daughter of Kamaiyas can wolf down plateful of meal in cold, and when it comes to work you whine like a swine’, she burst out. My fingers were numb with cold. They were no good at holding the handle of hoe. I tried to do the undoable; I couldn’t wrap my fingers around the handle. My inability to carry out her order made her see red. She snatched the hoe from me and tried to smash me with it. I ran screaming for help and the passerby came to my rescue. Ganesh Rai had a house in Kathmandu, too. One day I overheard my mistress talking about whisking me off to Kathmandu and getting another Kamlahari in place of me. It struck me like a bolt from the blue. That night fear of being taken to a colder place to die kept me awake. I felt like running away from my captives at once. I was in a quandary about whether to run away at the dead of night when everyone is fast asleep or submit to fate. The time had come to choose from two worst options. I knew it that either way ends up in heaps of trouble for me. I didn’t know the place and had no money to pay for my travel back home. As my mind became a battleground for thoughts to clash, a message from FM radio crept into my ear. It said keeping Kamlahari was a criminal act and was liable to prosecution. Next morning, I told my master that they were on the wrong side of the law by holding me here against my will and that they had the responsibility to make an arrangement to send me back home. He gave me a cold glare and bared teeth threatening to keep my mouth shut. He said he knew how to get round the law and didn’t take delight at a slave girl lecturing him on law. Next day, I slipped out of the house, sought help from a shopkeeper to ring at the only telephone facility in my village. It was some 500 meter away or so from my home. I sobbingly narrated him my nightmare and pleaded with the man on the other end to take mercy on me and pass

the message to my father that I was in serious trouble. Father had put the telephone number down on a slip of paper and handed me in case I needed them as I had parted from him. I did. My father turned up the very next day. I grabbed hold of him and shed flood of tears. No words escaped my lips, words choked in my throat. My father brought me back with him. I narrated my tale of woe to my parents and they were open mouth and round-eyed. I pleaded with them that I was willing to go to bed half-fed and even hungry but they should put me back to school.They did. Before and after school hour, I’d do laboring to help my parents. That way I did my high school. I went to Dhangadi, the district headquarters, did my plus Two on scholarship from a local NGO. In the country we live, women and girls have long way to go before they arrive at a thing called total emancipation. Politicians talk so much and do so little. Law alone is not enough no matter how high sounding they are. We need to bring about change in our way of thinking, acting and behaving. Our religion and culture create invisible Berlin wall separating men and women. We have got to pull it down. It can’t be done in a day but if we keep knocking it every day, one day it will come crumbling down. Until then, our mothers, sisters, aunts have to live on the other side of the wall. I have pledged to myself that I give tools to more and more girls like me so that they strike at the wall until it collapses.

This training has filled me with incredible confidence, broadened my knowledge base, demystified so many things, and ultimately given me a very noble cause to live and die for. Kamlahari are now free woman. But unscrupulous people out there are on prowl to clip their wings. We foil their move, strike at every single chain of human slavery, and wipe out the vestiges of inglorious Kamlahari practice.I pledge that I fight all forms of violence committed against women and don’t take rest until achieve a life of dignity for Kamaiya woman and Kamlaharis. (The trainees were asked to share their story and how the 4 weeks training change them. They wrote in Nepali language. We translated them)