Empower Feed Educate Single mother headed families

Single mother:    (Name Withheld for privacy), Aged 26

Daughters:          Rita (Name Changed), Aged 8
                             Sita (Name Changed), Aged 4
                             Ram (Name Changed), Aged 3                       

Narrative: (Name Withheld for privacy) stems from a village west of Kathmandu. Her parents owned a small farm and at the age of six she joined a Government School up to grade eight. (Name Withheld for privacy) got married at the age of 16 to Santosh aged 19.

It was love-marriage which is still unusual in Nepal where the parents are choosing a bride for their son. The parents didn’t agree and accordingly the young couple didn’t move to the groom’s house as the tradition holds. They moved to the town where Santosh was working as a Caterpillar operator. He made a fairly good living and he was a kind and caring husband and father. (Name Withheld for privacy) told us, life was good and we were a happy family.

One year after the birth of the youngest daughter, the 29 year old father died on the construction site where he was working. Heart failure was the official cause of death. The 26 year old mother of three was devastated and until this day she has still not processed the tragic loss of her husband. Bereft of the only bread earner and without any protection or support this family found them self on the brink of disaster.

I had to be strong, said (Name Withheld for privacy) because there was no one to help me and I have to take care of my three daughters.

She decided to move to Pokhara where it was easier to find work for her.

She ended up in a make shift shanti in a slum on the suburbs of Pokhara and she found work as a domestic helper in the house of a merchant.

The slums are a breeding ground for alcoholics, drugs, violence, rape and prostitution. Young women and under aged girls are often coerced or tricked into prostitution and it is here that the organized human traffickers are looking for their prey.

(Name Withheld for privacy) came to know about “BEF” who occasionally is conducting aid programs in the slums and she applied for support.

Given her situation, the vulnerability of this family and the high risk of abuse and exploitation we decided to take this family under our wings.

We talked to the landlord of her workplace and he agreed to provide them with a room on his premises.

With our support and (Name Withheld for privacy)’s earnings the family is now living a life in safety and dignity, they regained hope and all are thriving and in good health.

The two older girls have been admitted to school respectively into grade II and kinder garden. Both are very well mannered and diligent students.

The yearly expenses to support and care for this family of four amounts to around € 1.400,-

For them, the support of “BEF” is making all the difference!

It’s simple, it’s “Simply BEF”!

Sincerely yours

Surendra & the TEAM