Empower Feed Educate Single mother headed families

A mother's desperation to Empowerment, A journey with BEF

Family Profile

Beneficiary:
A 30-year-old single mother

Children:
• Daughter (14 years, Class VIII)
• Daughter (11 years, Class VI)

School:
Local Government Secondary School, Tanahun

A Childhood Marked by Poverty

Born into a marginalized indigenous (Adivasi/Janajati) Kumal family in rural Tanahun, she grew up as one of eleven siblings in a household struggling to survive. Her parents worked as farmers and daily wage laborers, but their income was never enough to meet basic needs.

Education was a luxury the family could not afford. Like her siblings, she had to leave school early and begin working. From a young age, she learned that survival came before dreams.

Marriage, Discrimination, and Isolation

At just 15, she entered a love marriage that crossed caste boundaries. What began with hope quickly turned into hardship.

Her husband’s family never accepted her due to her background. She faced daily discrimination, social exclusion, and emotional isolation. Under pressure and economic stress, her husband developed alcohol and substance dependency, gradually withdrawing from family responsibilities.

Despite everything, she continued to work and support the family, even taking loans in hopes of creating better opportunities. But the situation only worsened.

A Life-Altering Tragedy

In 2024, following ongoing distress and mental health struggles, her husband died by suicide.

She discovered him at home.

In a single moment, she lost her partner and the fragile stability she had been holding together.

Widowhood and Further Hardship

Instead of support, she faced further rejection from her in-laws, even during mourning rituals. She was isolated, blamed, and eventually left with only a small portion of the house.

Now alone, she carried the full responsibility of raising two daughters while enduring ongoing social stigma and economic hardship.

Struggling to Survive

Today, she works as a construction laborer, carrying heavy loads for long hours, earning just €3–4 per day. It is barely enough to survive.

Women in such conditions face extreme risks, including exploitation and trafficking. Without support, escaping poverty becomes nearly impossible.

Support and a New Beginning

In June 2025, Bahini Educare Foundation welcomed this family into the Educare Program.

Support includes:
• Education for both daughters
• Food, clothing, and hygiene support
• Access to healthcare
• Emotional counseling
• Livelihood and empowerment support

For the first time, the family began to feel safe and supported.

The daughters returned to school with confidence. Slowly, hope replaced fear.

A Mother’s Strength

Despite everything, her focus remains clear: to give her daughters a better future.

In her words:

“I never imagined life would turn out this way. But my daughters must not go through what I did. That is what keeps me going.”

Why This Story Matters

Her story reflects the reality of many women in rural Nepal, where poverty, caste-based discrimination, and gender inequality intersect.

Without intervention, these cycles continue for generations.

With the right support, they can be broken.

Bahini Educare Foundation works alongside families like hers to restore dignity, stability, and independence — step by step.

Be Part of the Change

Your support helps families move from crisis to confidence, from exclusion to belonging.

Together, we can ensure that no woman or child is left to struggle alone.

It’s simple. It’s simply BEF.