Let’s talk about menstruation – A simple way to eradicate period-related absences in a Ugandan school
Three out of four girls in Uganda miss school because they are menstruating. At Bukere secondary school, the problem has been solved by raising awareness about menstruation among both girls and boys.
Text: Elisa Rimaila Photos: Antti Yrjönen
THE EXCITEMENT of over a hundred teenagers combined with the glow of an equatorial afternoon have stirred up the air in the classroom so thick you could almost bottle it. The youngsters sit cramped in their desks, squealingas teacher Jolly Kyogabirwe begins a lesson on reproductive health and sexual rights at Bukere secondary school in central Uganda.
Now let’s talk about menstruation! The rumble slowly calms down..
“Menstruation is not an illness that should make you stay home and out of school,” says Kyogabirwe.
In the front row, a few girls look at each other. In the back, the boys lean forward with interest, letting the teacher continue.
“If your period starts during the school day, the school has disposable sanitary towels for emergencies. We will help you so that you can stay in school despite your period,” teacher Kyogabirwe addresses the girls.
IN REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS in particular, menstrual absenteeism is a real threat to education. Many girls are absent from school for several days each month.
Bukere secondary school is fighting absenteeism by organising menstrual hygiene lessons and distributing a bag of sanitary towels, soap and underwear to girls.
Teacher Kyogabirwe goes through the signs that the body gives before menstruation starts and reminds you to be aware of your menstrual cycle.
The boys in the back seat are keen to ask questions.
“Why are the pads different sizes – and that one so huge?”
“How long can you use one sanitary towel?”
Best Kemigisa, 20, a student in Bukere secondary school, shows other students the products she received as part of Finn Church Aid’s menstrual hygiene package.
Reusable pads save money
At the end of the lesson, girls and boys can talk freely.
“It’s interesting to know how things work. Some of us boys didn’t know anything before,” says Emmanuel Nsengimana, 20.
“It’s good to have a conversation together,” continues Best Kemigisa, 20.
The lesson makes Manzi Biraguma, 16, wonder whether it would be possible to make a business out of making reusable pads. The boy’s comment makes the girls laugh, but it’s actually not a bad idea, confirms Sonia Kyasiimire, an education specialist at the Finn Church Aid (FCA) office in Uganda.
“If we could get more funding, we could organise a workshop to learn how to make reusable pads for sale. The training could be combined with vocational studies, for example,” says Kyasiimire.
The life cycle of a single reusable pad is about a year, making them a better environmental alternative to disposable shelters. If girls made their own pads, they could also save money.
A five-piece package of reusable pads costs 25,000 Ugandan shillings (six euros), while disposable pads cost girls between 5.000 and 10,000 shillings (about 1.5-2.5 euros) per month.
In the refugee area, it is a significant amount. The cost of one package of disposable sanitary towels is equivalent to about half of the cash grant given to qualifying families by UNHCR each month.
“Many parents have not been educated about menstrual hygiene. It can be difficult for them to understand why girls should be provided with separate menstrual protection,” says Manzi Biraguma.
The girls nod. Lack of knowledge can lead to discrimination and exclusion from everyday activities such as socially important religious gatherings.
“There are communities here that may believe that girls are ‘unclean’ during menstruation or that they are somehow harmful,” says Patience Kabarokore, 17.
Manzi Biraguma and Emmanuel Nsengimana are happy boys have been granted an access to their school’s menstrual hygiene classes.
Emmanuel Nsengimana points out that girls themselves can avoid being stigmatised by taking the management of their menstrual hygiene into their own hands.
“Boys in particular may want to sit somewhere other than next to a girl who doesn’t have proper protection. They might be embarrassed. I’m serious, there are boys like that!”
The comment leads to a debate between girls and boys about whether menstruation is something to be ashamed of.
“Menses are part of normal life. The fact that you are menstruating just means that you are normal,” says Best Kemigisa.
“Sometimes it is difficult to participate in the joy and activities of others during menstruation. Especially if you’re not feeling well. Then I feel ashamed,” defends Fatumah Kenganzi, 17.
She says that as a Muslim she is not allowed to pray or fast during her periods.
“It’s quite understandable. Even a prayer mat can get dirty,” she reflects.
In Ugandan refugee settlements menstrual hygiene may be challenging to maintain due to lack of money. Menstrual hygiene isn’t a priority for families living on less than two dollars a day. This leads to girls staying home when they’re having their period.
Lack of sanitary towels robs girls their education
In Bukere, every young person knows someone who has missed school because of their period. And no wonder, because according to Uganda’s Ministry of Education 2020 data, three out of four school-age girls miss 2-3 school days a month due to menstruation. According to the same statistics, up to 65% of girls and women in Uganda feel unable to afford adequate menstrual protection.
“Girls would certainly like to use disposable pads, but they are not very accessible here,” says Sonia Kyasiimire, referring to the high price of sanitary towels.
Fatumah Kenganzi would like to use disposable pads if she had the money to buy them.
FCA’s menstrual hygiene work involves more than just handing out sanitary pads and teaching lessons. At Bukere secondary school, changing rooms and water points have been built next to the toilets to make girls’ daily lives easier. According to 2020 statistics, only 60% of girls and women reported that they had regular access to water for washing and safe, sheltered places for changing.
Fatumah Kenganzi is the only girl who would prefer to use disposable protection if she had the choice. But her life with reusable pads is made easier by the fact that she lives in a school dormitory.
“The school has water for washing and shelter. At the primary school I went to, if there was an accident, you had to go home in the middle of the day to wash.”
The situations where girls are most nervous are when their periods start unexpectedly in the middle of the school day. The school day can become embarrassing, especially because of boys’ behaviour.
“They mock it, calling it a ‘blood skirt’, and everyone hears about it,” says Patience Kabarokore.
Best Kemigisa, Fatumah Kenganzi and Patience Kabarokore have had their share of listening to boys mocking girls when they find out they have their period. Sometimes the menstruation begins in the middle of a school day leading the girls leave home and skipping classes.
The comment makes the boys look at each other.
“I think we do it out of ignorance. It boggles the mind to even think about where the blood comes. We boys are sensitive,” Biraguma defends himself.
“Girls can talk openly about these issues. Come and tell us if you need help. We will help,” Nsengimana continues.
The last sentence makes all three girls burst out laughing. Patience Kabakore, however, is grateful that the boys are now getting information through school.
“I think boys are genuinely interested in these things. Now they have the opportunity to participate and learn. Until a few years ago, they were expelled from class when we started talking about menstruation.”
How will boys use the information they learn about menstrual hygiene at school?
“If I had a wife and she needed help with washing the pads, of course I’d help,” says Biraguma, after a moment’s thought.
The girls don’t believe him.
“No way! You don’t even know what menstrual blood smells like,” challenges Fatumah Kenganzi.
“Yes. I’m at least going to offer to help my wife when I have one some day. My wife is my responsibility. Of course I would,” Biraguma promises.
Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management at a global level.
‘At night I was afraid someone would come’: In Nepal, girls are still banished to so-called ‘menstruation huts’.
FCA works for gender equality and menstrual hygiene rights, so that girls and women have the opportunity to take control of their own lives.
Text: Elisa Rimaila Photos: Antti Yrjönen
TO GET INTO THE HUT, you have to take a big leap up. That’s good, because otherwise snakes and various ground-dwelling insects would find it easier to surprise those sleeping in thisdoorless shack. This is where Nepali Laxmi Sarki, 27, has spent five nights every month for the past almost nine years – ever since her period began.
“At night I was afraid that someone would come. We live on the edge of a national park and there are also a lot of snakes there,” says Sarki.
There are real risks to sleeping alone outside, isolated from others. In Nepal, dozens of deaths have been linked to the practice of Chhaupadi over the last decade. Chhaupadi is the isolation of girls and women in so-called “menstruation huts” during their period and is still practised in some communities, despite being illegal in Nepal since 2005. The deaths are most often caused by bites from poisonous snakes or by carbon monoxide gas from wood stoves that provide heat. Of course, girls and women in isolation are also vulnerable to sexual violence.
The practice of isolation during menstruation stems from the long-held idea that girls and women are unclean during their periods. Therefore, they should ‘protect’ other family members from illness and bad luck by sleeping in isolation for five nights from the day their period begins.
“I feel bad that this has to be done, but all the women here are in the same situation,” says Sarki.
Laxmi Sarki, 27, lives in Kanchanpur in south-western Nepal, in a community where women have to isolate themselves from the rest of the family in a separate menstrual house during menstruation. This isolation is due to beliefs associated with menstruation that women are unclean and can bring bad luck to their families.
Women’s household chores change during the menstrual cycle. For example, they are not allowed to fetch water for their family, or even to water their vegetable garden or take part in cooking. The severity of restrictions and isolation varies from place to place.
In Sarki’s Dalit community in Kanchanpur district, FCA has been working with its local partner organisation NEEDS Nepal to support women’s equality and livelihood opportunities. The work targets particularly vulnerable women.
In addition to training on economics and business, FCA’s work in Nepal has also included sections on gender equality, such as taboos related to the menstrual cycle and the harmful Chhaupadi tradition. This led to the construction of women’s safe houses in communities where women can come during their periods, according to Srijana Joshi, a local expert at NEEDS Nepal.
“It is a testament to the strength of the tradition that it has not been completely abandoned here, even though some of these women have been educated. Equality is still a long way off, but communities have identified harmful practices and this is a first step,” says Joshi.
Last year, Laxmi Sarki gave up her old hut, built of wood, tarpaulin and clay next to the cattle shed. In its place, his family has now built a small brick-built house with a real bed, a lockable door, electric lights and a fan.
“Now I feel safer,” she says.
Preeti Kumari Das, 15, learned to sew reusable pads under Poonam Mahara. The girls have learnt to use old fabrics to make durable garments, so there are no costs involved in making them.
ABOUT 800 KILOMETERS east of Kanchanpur, twenty teenage girls are preparing to learn more about menstrual hygiene. This time, their teacher, community activist Poonam Mahara, is helping them finish sewing their own sanitary napkins.
“We use old saris as materials, fabric that you can find in everyone’s home,” says Mahara.
“I got the idea for the material and the design after watching a video on YouTube. I started thinking that this is a soft fabric and easy to wash and dry in the sun,” she continues.
“To make reusable sanitary pads, we use old saris as materials, fabric that you can find in everyone’s home,” says Poonam Mahara.
There is plenty of sunshine in Nepal’s southern Terai lowlands. At the time of the meeting, the temperature has climbed to 40 degrees Celsius, but fortunately it is possible to hold the lessons in the recess of a building that provides shade from the harshest sun. Carpets of dried grasses act as seating, as well as cooling the air.
Today’s group consists of 20 girls, aged between 10 and 19. Poonam Mahara has picked most of them up from their homes after talking to their parents. In this community, the girls’ lives are very limited and it is by no means a given that they will even get to school.
“Sometimes, especially at the beginning, it was difficult to get permission from their parents, but now I am already known in the community. When I started, I didn’t know many people,” says Poonam Mahara.
Poonam Mahara wanted to make a difference in her community. “I now know more about things myself and I know that menstruation is a perfectly normal thing. I want to teach this knowledge to others. It is important for me that girls know their rights as early as possible and that they are not married too early and are allowed to go to school.”
“In this culture, people tend to get married very young, and in these classes we also talk about why it’s important to take care of yourself and do things for yourself, not just focus on your responsibilities.”
Those responsibilities can start at a very young age, as girls move into their spouse’s home when they get married. Housework usually ends up being the responsibility of the young daughter-in-law under the supervision of her parents-in-law. The legal age for marriage in Nepal is now 20, but often girls, especially from the poorest families, are married or given in marriage by their parents at a much younger age, as young as 13 or 14.
Grita Mahara, 17, says she used to be very shy. “I feel I have changed a lot since I joined this group, got information and got to know others. Now I have the courage to speak up for myself and I want a profession for myself.”
“At that age, the body is still changing a lot and there are other challenges associated with growing up. One of them is menstruation and especially not being able to afford menstrual pads,” says Poonam Mahara.
The project, supported by the FCA, started in December 2022 in a community in the Dhanusa region, based on the observation that many girls from marginalised groups lacked basic information about their own body functions and rights, and that child marriage was common.
“Menstruation is a taboo subject and the stigma around it makes it difficult to talk about menstruation to anyone, even within your own family. Menstruation is not considered a normal thing and that’s bad for everyone,” says Poonam Mahara.
When it comes to menstruation, it is strictly between women. Girls usually can’t even talk about it with their own brothers or fathers.
“Even if these girls get to school, they don’t get this kind of information about menstruation and so on at school. Teachers are usually men,” says Poonam Mahara.
Kajol Mahara, 17, listening next to her, nods cautiously. She has learned to sew herself a proper sanitary napkin in FCA-supported training courses. Her family is poor and she cannot afford to buy her daughter menstrual pads. Many girls and women use some kind of folded piece of cloth to protect themselves.
“In the past, I had to miss school during my period because I didn’t have proper protection. Now I don’t have to,” says Kajol Mahara.
Poonam Mahara herself comes from the same community. She studied in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It was only after her marriage and return to her home community that she realised how many problems there were in the lives of girls and women. That’s why she wanted to help.
“I’ve also received a huge amount of support from my mother-in-law. She has encouraged me along the way and is like a mother to me. I love her so much,” Poonam Mahara rejoices.
Mother-in-law Sarabati Mahara appears at the same moment. She says that she herself has learned a lot about menstruation and women’s rights from her daughter-in-law.
“Our family are poor farmers, but my daughter-in-law is educated. It’s great that she can do this kind of work and doesn’t just have to stay at home. Because she is working, my grandchildren will also get a good education.”
That time of the month again – the experience of menstruation is universal, everyday life with it is not
“If you don’t have reliable period protection, you won’t want to come to school. I strongly share this experience with girls I have met in refugee settlements in Uganda”, writes Elisa Rimaila, Communications Specialist at FCA.
“DO YOU REMEMBER how it started? I only remember how thick and uncomfortable the first menstrual pads my mother gave me were. I didn’t dare move normally or lie on my back for fear of leaking. That same week my parents also gave me a Gameboy, a games console, which I used to play so much Tetris for the next week that I forgot about my period.
The experience of the onset of menstruation is something that most girls and women born into the world have in common. There is life before “them” and then this part that forces you to count life in about three-week chunks.
On a recent work-related trip to Uganda, I heard once again how menstruation is disrupting the schooling of too many girls. If there is no proper menstrual protection, school is a pain. I strongly share this experience with girls I meet in refugee settlements in Uganda. I was only 11 years old when I started my period, but I learned early on during my period to look at the back of my trousers in mirrors and windowpanes. I was afraid that blood would stain my clothes so that someone would see.
In Uganda, girls told me of the mocking songs sung by boys. They targeted classmates whose clothes were stained, revealing the fact they were menstruating. Some of the bullying is surely the result of ignorance on the part of teenage boys. Still, it is worth remembering the inequality that girls around the world face because of their periods.
Menstruation is still a taboo subject
IT IS LUDICROUS to think that every four weeks your period can prevent you from doing something as important as going to school. There are many reasons. Menstrual pads are too expensive, or otherwise unavailable for families to buy.
Or in many places, all sorts of beliefs about impurity are still associated with menstruation. The pressure these beliefs exert prevents girls and women from participating in normal daily life, for example, eating meals and sleeping nears family members, not to mention going to school or places of worship. Isolation not only causes feelings of hatred and rejection, but also real physical danger. In Nepal, for example, girls in so-called ‘Chhaupadi’ isolation die every year from snake bites or other accidents.
WHAT DID I SAY to the girls in the Rwamwanja refugee settlement who told me that they had been taunted by boys because of the bloodstains? I reminded them that menstruation is really about how incredibly strong we women are: we bleed a tremendous amount of blood, but we don’t die from it.
Although at the same time, I have to admit that I took some pills to delay the start of menstruation during my trip to Uganda. The thought of having my period during the trip is still, in my forties, quite unbearable. Avoiding periods is possible because I happen to be born in Finland and I can choose when my periods come to interfere with things that are important to me. Not everyone has that privilege.
Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed annually on May 28th. The day is dedicated to breaking taboos and raising awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM).
Harvesting equality in Nepal: FCA & partners talk climate resilient development at CSW
At the 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, FCA and Nepali partners discussed the effects of climate change on women while sharing practical solutions.
Gender agenda for women in Nepal
CLIMATE CHANGE and environmental protection form a strategically important gender agenda for women in Nepal now and in the future.
The FCA event took place during the UN’s annual Commission on the Status of Women.
On March 12, 2024, experts gathered in New York during the UN’s event on gender quality. FCA hosted an event, co-sponsored by Finland that focused on how to mitigate the effects of climate change on Nepali women farmers, while remaining gender responsive and supporting economic empowerment.
The event drew on experiences from the GRAPE project in Nepal, a climate-resilient agriculture programme that FCA works on with main implementer, German development agency, GiZ.
Laura Rissanen, the State Secretary to the Minister of Social Security of Finland, opened the session by describing FCA’s work with Nepalis and how grassroots approaches and inclusion of women and girls is when climate action can make an impactful difference.
Ms Rissanen also highlighted that 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Finland/Nepal diplomatic relations.
State Secretary Laura Rissanen opened the event
Shikha Shrestha from VSO Nepal emphasised that time and again, women’s voices are not heard.
Shikha Shrestha underlined that women must be involved in disaster relief.
“Women are always being engaged in agriculture & our knowledge & expertise is not considered. We need to consider holistic approach & have voices of women making the plan for disaster relief.”
The vivid panel discussion touched on the topic from various entry points with examples from mountainous indigenous women realities on the ground as well as experiences shared by women from marginalized communities, complemented by findings from recent research on how actually climate financing has remain very thin.
Yasso Kanti from the National Indigenous Women Forum narrated from firsthand experience the challenges and triumphs faced by indigenous women in their pursuit of equitable participation in agricultural endeavors amidst the ever-evolving climate landscape.
“There needs to be concrete recognition & action to putting indigenous peoples contributions at the forefront because indigenous people, especially women and girls, are mostly affected by land and climate induced conflicts,” she said.
Et ole hyväksynyt markkinoinnin evästeitä nähdäksesi videon.
Watch how climate change is threatening women farmers in Nepal
The panel also included DanChurchAid‘s Senior Advisor in Gender Equality, Kira Ugaz-Simonsen and youth climate activist, Tashi Lhazom, who joined remotely.
“Climate Change impacts everyone, but not equally. Key is the decentralization in power & resources. In most cases, it’s not an issue for women to speak out but for women to be listened to,” she contributed via remote link.
Youth climate activist, Tashi Lhazom joined the panel remotely
Targeted actions to mitigate the effects of climate change on women and gender equality remains extremely low whist there are growing needs to finance mitigation measures to women farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs on climate change effects and prevention of further damage.
While the challenges of the Nepali women remain complex with deeply rooted gender stereotypes and practices, the discussion proved commitment and true trust for the better future as long as women’s agricultural role and potential is truly recognised and nurtured.
Panel biographies
Laura Rissanen
Laura Rissanen has served as State Secretary to the Minister of Social Security since June 2023 and is responsible for EU and international affairs that fall within the Minister’s area of responsibility, and matters related to gender equality, occupational safety and health, and farm relief services. Rissanen has over twenty years of experience in policymaking, ranging from municipality decision-making to the European Parliament.
Tashi Lhazom
Tashi Lhazom is a prominent climate activist working at the intersection of climate action, gender equality, indigenous rights, and political literacy. She has spoken at grassroots, national, and global platforms. Tashi is a Co-Founder of two civil society initiatives, is a researcher and filmmaker, using storytelling to bring awareness to critical climate challenges in the Himalayan region.
Yasso Kanti Bhattachan
Yasso Kanti Bhattachan presently holds the position of Vice-Chairperson at the National Indigenous Women Forum. She is an esteemed figure known for her pivotal role as an advocate, researcher and leader for Indigenous Women’s Rights. Yasso is one of the founding members and advisor at the National Indigenous Women Federation and a Regional Council member of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), and the South Asia Focal Person of the Asian Indigenous Women’s Network (AIWN).
Kira-Ugaz Simonsen
Kira Ugaz-Simonsen is a Senior Advisor in Gender Equality at DanChurchAid, based in the head office in Copenhagen. Kira has more than 10 years’ experience working with gender responsiveness in development programming, both as a gender specialist and independent consultant, with experience from a broad range of countries. She has previously lived and worked with gender issues in Mozambique for close to five years and have prior to that, worked for UN Women in Bolivia.
Shikha Shrestha
Shikha Shrestha has more than 25 years of experiences on gender equality and social inclusion, feminist leadership, and good governance. Currently working with VSO Nepal as Country Project Implementation Lead, she completed her masters in forest ecology that helps her to understand agenda of climate change both from gender and ecological perspectives. Shikha has been actively engaged in promoting gender agenda in climate change actions and systematizing efforts of harmful social norms transformation for promoting gender equality and empowerment of marginalized communities.
Not feeling alone is crucial for survivors of gender-based violence
Finn Church Aid (FCA) works against gender-based violence in the Central African Republic by connecting survivors to healthcare services and psychosocial counselling.
WHEN ZITA KOUALET started her work as FCA’s psychosocial counsellor in Baboua, the hardest part was getting survivors of gender-based violence to consider sharing what they had gone through.
Koualet and her colleagues provide the first response in cases of rape, sexual harassment, or domestic violence in Baboua, Central African Republic. The project has been running for three years with UN Refugee Agency UNHCR funding. After careful awareness-raising in the community, people know how to approach Koualet in cases of violence or abuse.
“We pay for any transport or medical needs and provide counselling that focuses on the mental well-being. We can also help people file cases when they have been wronged”, she says.
“After that, the survivors are offered counselling. The more they feel they are supported, the more comfortable they are opening up about their experience and feel how it helps them move forward.”
Koulaet and her team also record the cases from their area in UNHCR’s database. Based on the countrywide data, NGOs know the needs and can tailor their responses nationwide.
Early marriage a key issue that leads to violence
Koualet mentions that early marriage is one of the core issues that leads to violence against women. When women are married off young, they are forced to interrupt their education – if they were in school in the first place. If women do not receive an education, they often end up staying at home doing housework and taking care of children, making them dependent on their husbands.
If a girl and her family refuse a marriage proposal, they might face consequences. In many cases of sexual violence, the perpetrator is someone they know from before, Koualet explains.
Usually, women with their own income suffer less from gender-based violence, which is why education is critical to preventing cases.
“Early marriage greatly slows down the development of young girls here. We work hard to discourage this custom and promote the benefits of education instead”, Koualet says.
After careful awareness-raising in the community in Baboua in Central African Republic, people know how to approach Zita Koualet in cases of violence or abuse.
Several of Koualet’s clients in Baboua, near the border to Cameroon, are only teenagers. One of them is 14-year-old Sylvaine. She was raped on her way home from an early evening event in her village. The assailant was a man who had earlier proposed to marry her, but Sylvaine and her family had declined.
“I had refused to marry because I wanted to continue my studies. Not too much later, I met the man when I was on my way home in the dark, and he assaulted me”, she says.
Sylvaine was first afraid to speak about the rape with anyone, but when she started feeling sick, she decided to confide in her sister. Her sister persuaded Sylvaine to talk to her mother, who had heard about FCA through an awareness campaign. FCA’s staff immediately took her to the hospital.
The doctor who treated her injuries quickly told Sylvaine she was pregnant.
“Our first thought was that we wanted to press charges against the perpetrator, but we decided that it would be disadvantageous for my future, my studies and marriage potential”, Syvlaine says.
Counselling comforts and helps building a way forward
The mental health consequences of gender-based violence are often paralysing. Ana is a 30-year-old single mother who takes care of her five children alone after divorcing her husband a few years earlier. Ana used to run a successful business as a vendor at the weekly market near the town of Bouar.
One day, she was assaulted and robbed by members of an armed group. They beat Ana and took all her possessions. Forced down on the ground, the men accused her of collaborating with another armed group. After driving over her with their motorcycles, they left her lying on the road.
“I lost all the money I had for supporting my children. They are now out of school, and during the month after the assault, I have not been able to work”, she says.
A dignity kit distributed to women in Baboua, Central African Republic contains a mosquito net, torch, underwear and other necessities, including a whistle to raise alarm in case of an attack.
The people who found Ana referred her to FCA, who took her to treatment for her injuries and covered her hospital costs. Ana still feels pain in her ribs and back but is able to walk. While still fearing to visit the local market, Ana feels grateful for the psychosocial support she receives weekly.
“Thanks to that, I have been able to live, and the hospital helped me back on my feet”, she says.
Ana and Sylvaine say that the most important reason for their recovery is understanding that they are not alone. Sylvaine also says that the counselling has been comforting and helped her realise that what happened to her was not her fault. Her goal is now to go back to school and continue her education.
“Speaking with the counsellors has made me realise I also want to work with something that makes a difference. Caring for my child does not stop me. My siblings and mother will support me”, Sylvaine says.
The names of the survivors of gender-based violence have been changed due to the sensitive nature of their stories.
The Women of Raqqa – Fighting for Their Right to Study
Aisha held secret classes. Amina studied in them. Nour is prepared to wait for hours at checkup points to finish tests. The women of Raqqa are doing whatever they can to fight for a better future.
THE CITY OF RAQQA in Northern Syria, along with its surrounding regions, were once known as a modernized region, receiving a flood of industrial investments, with an orientation towards the future. The adults had a good education; the children studied in schools to obtain one.
In 2013, the terrorist organization ISIS took over and placed heavy limits the way the people of Raqqa, particularly the women and girls, moved and dressed. The terrorists seized farmers’ crops and merchants’ goods, thus also seizing locals’ way of life.
However, the greatest enemy the terrorists faced was education. From the get-go the terrorist organization closed the schools of the areas, turning them into bases, prisons, and torture centers. Boys were recruited to fight, teachers were made to apologize for teaching ; but the girls had the worst fate, as ISIS organized training sessions on how to offer their bodies to terrorists.
Currently, Finn Church Aid is operating in the countryside of Raqqa, which the terrorists left in 2017. The region has over a hundred schools damaged in battle with tens of thousands of students. Many have had their school life interrupted for as long as ten years. The various parties to the conflict still patrol the area, and going through checkpoints makes life hard for schoolchildren.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. Locals, including girls and women, have been able to return to school. This story features a trio of survivors from Raqqa.
Aisha held secret school classes as a teacher during ISIS, participated in FCA training during her escape, and returned to her home region to become a principal.
“Previously, the women of Raqqa were active members of society, involved in politics. We lived our own lives and, like me, could move alone to a university town for studies.
The terrorists know about the power of teachers, and they certainly tried to win the teachers over to help them get young girls to molest. Thinking about what they did to us still gets me raving mad.
There are more than one hundred schools in the rural area in which FCA operates. Aisha is one of the female head teachers. About 75 per cent of the teachers are women.
At the start of ISIS’s reign of terror, we tried to continue our work, until we understood that they were sending their members to our classes to report to their leaders what we were teaching. As a countermeasure we locked the school doors, but they broke the locks and interrupted our studies. Next, they took the study materials.
Halfway through 2014, the only thing I could do was continue instructing my students at my home. We had several female teachers, and we organized a school secretly at my house for four months. We organized teaching in shifts, with approximately a hundred children participating. When our work was revealed, the terrorists arrested me and interrogated me.
I fooled them and said that I only instructed the children Arabic and the Quran instead of English, French and natural sciences. They were enthusiastic about this, asked me to continue and promised they would deliver suitable study materials. After interrogation I packed my bags and escaped from the city to the countryside – they never caught me. I left
the Raqqa area in 2015, escaping at the last moment. After the night I left, ISIS announced that women under 50 were under curfew and locked up in their houses.
I spent the next years in the Hama countryside, a scene of many battles. During the worst ones I could not teach at all. Then, I found out FCA had started operating in my area, organizing school repairs and activities for the students. I participated in teacher training, a particularly important experience for me, learning about offering psychosocial support and new study methods, like giving the students group work. My students’ critical thinking skills improved, allowing them to focus on their studies better.
Before the war, my students made plans for their future, but during the reign of ISIS, the only thing the kids worried about was their own safety. Girls married young and had children, leaving us a huge burden as education experts. We are still trying to change the thought patterns of the girls who lived during the ISIS era to understand that getting an education is worth it. ISIS taught these girls to get married and start a family – we are teaching them to go to university and build a new future.
After three years, I returned to the Raqqa countryside to become the principal of this school. It is a personal decision not dwell too much on the war years. Regarding the past, I only wish to remember the times before 2010 and after 2023. The rest of it is not worthy of my attention.”
Nour, 18, travels from the Kurdish zone through 20 checkpoints to a school supported by Finn Church Aid to participate in her final exams.
“My first memory of ISIS? When they prevented us girls from going to school and forced us to cover our faces. I was in the second grade. We lived here, under the rule of ISIS, for two years, until my dad found a smuggler who took us to Hama. In there I continued my schooling in the second grade. It was weird, as I was older than other students, and taller by a head’s length.
18-year-old Nour (in the middle) had to pass through 20 checkpoints to make it to final examinations. She and her sister take turns to go to school every other year.
We returned to the Raqqa area in 2021. Me and my sister are of different ages, but due to breaks in my education we are both going to the ninth grade. I should really be three years further in my studies. My father does not have enough money to send us both to school, meaning we have taken turns to go through the school. First, my sister continued her education, now it is my time, and my sister has prepared me for the national exams.
I live in the Kurdish zone without a public school. I woke up early in the morning and travelled here to participate in my finals. Normally this trip takes me half an hour, but it can also take as many as six hours now. There are 20 checkpoints along the way, asking a lot of questions and inspecting personal IDs.
I spent this morning afraid I could not make it through the checkpoints in time. In that case, I could not have made it to the final exams and would have had to remain out of school for a year. All this trouble – I go through it just to get a Syrian final certificate from school.
I want to finish my education but also fear that my family’s financial situation will prevent it. I find the higher-grade tests challenging. I need a real teacher – just studying with my sister is not sufficient. Travelling between different regions is also expensive and takes its toll.
During the rule of ISIS, girls married at 13–15, and this became normalized. I am now 18 years old and already feel too old to be wanted. I want to continue my studies, and my father fully supports me. He does not want to marry too young.”
Amina, 14, went to a secret school held by her dad, but only learned to count and write years later. Now she is one of the best students at her school.
“I do not think I had a broken childhood. ISIS came when I was four. Those were bad, frightening times, times when we could not sleep at night or go out with my mom due to being female. When we needed something from the markets, my dad had to go out and get it.
When terrorists finally left the Raqqa area and I could start my schooling, I was 8. I could not write or count, but my father, who is a teacher, supported me. Even during the ISIS rule, my dad tried to teach me and my neighbors’ children in secret. ISIS found out and threatened my father over it. They also tried to force my dad to send them to one of their ”schools,” but my dad was very strictly against it.
I was eight years old when the terrorists left. I have worked hard to make up for the gaps in my education since then. Just this morning, I participated in the national test for the ninth graders despite being younger than the others. I am an excellent student – one who is always getting the best grades.
When terrorists finally left the Raqqa area and I could start my schooling, I was 8. I could not write or count, says 14-year-old Amina.
I will continue my studies, and I am ready to walk to the nearest girls’ high school even if it takes 45 minutes to get there. In the future, I want to train myself to be a pediatrician to help kids who have gone through war. And I want to remain in the vicinity of Raqqa – this is my home.”
Text: Ulriikka Myöhänen Photos: Antti Yrjönen Translation: Tatu Ahponen
Finn Church Aid is repairing damaged schools in Raqqa and supporting students and teachers with cash grants. Among those receiving grants are teachers and students travelling to school finishing exams from the Kurdish area. The work happens together with the Syria Humanitarian Fund, under the UN.
Never too late to LEARN – improving access to education in Uganda
Monica a student from Rwamwanja Secondary School finds it easier to participate in class with her wheelchair and kneepads.
IN UGANDA, FCA supports children and adolescents access education in Uganda’s refugee settlements through the Lasting Education Achievements Responding to Needs (LEARN) project funded by the U.S department of State, Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration.
LYDIA BANGA, Rwarinda Racheal, and Komulembe Monica are three inspiring young individuals who, despite setbacks, are forging their education paths.
FCA helped them rejoin mainstream schooling after their education was interrupted. Here are their own stories.
Lydia’s journey to achieving top performance.
Lydia Banga’s journey from a refugee fleeing civil war in Congo to becoming one of the best-performing students at in Rwamwanja refugee settlement is a testament to her determination.
Lydia Banga attends Ntenungi Senior Secondary School in Rwamwanja refugee settlement
“When I came to Uganda, I was demoted and placed in primary classes instead of joining secondary school. This was because of the language barrier; I did not know English. I felt demotivated so I contemplated dropping out of school. However, my mother’s convinced me to stay. In school. I worked hard became one of the best performing students during my Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).”
“I was determined to work hard even when my mother fell ill, and I had to be the sole provider of our family. I am the oldest of five siblings, so I took on casual jobs to support us. Through it all, I remained committed to my education,” she adds.
Lydia later joined Ntenungi Secondary School with support of Finn Church Aid (FCA) through the LEARN project, which gave her extra support.
“I am extremely grateful to FCA for giving me a scholarship to study from Ntenungi Secondary School. They also give me scholastic materials, menstrual hygiene kits, and career counselling.” she says.
Lydia’s dreams of pursuing medicine and specialise in midwifery are fueled by her desire to make a positive impact on her community.
Pregnancy didn’t put an end to her education
Rwarinda Racheal is a survivor, who rejoined school with the support of her parents.
“During the COVID-19 lockdown, I became pregnant because I was taken advantage of by one of our village’s pastors. For my parents and me, it was an extremely difficult time. When we took the issue to the police, it was discovered that he was abusing several girls in the same way. Sadly, he fled the settlement, and we haven’t heard from him since,” Racheal tells us.
Racheal goes to Ntenungi Secondary School.
With unwavering support from her parents, friends, and FCA, she returned to school after the lockdown.
“My mother received a visit from the deputy headteacher of Ntenungi Secondary School who informed her I may resume my studies after delivering. Throughout the pregnancy, she checked in with me every day.”
“A part of my journey has also included FCA support,” she continues. “They drove me to the hospital, and their PSS (Psychosocial Support) & Child Protection officers helped me the entire way. They also give me scholastic materials and menstrual hygiene kits.”
Racheal aspires to become a doctor, to make a difference in people’s lives. “With FCA’s support, I am confident that I will fulfil my dream,” she smiles.
She encourages parents not to feel disappointed about teenagers who get pregnant, emphasising the potential for success with proper support and guidance.
Mobility devices improved Monica’s school experience.
Monica a student from Rwamwanja Secondary School finds it easier to participate in class with her wheelchair and kneepads.
To improve Komulembe Monica’s classroom experience, FCA provided the sixteen-year-old girl with a wheelchair and kneepads.
“The wheelchair and kneepads provided to me by the LEARN project have greatly eased my movement around the school. Now, I can access any part of the school easily. Before I received this support, it was very difficult for me to move and stay in school. It was even worse on rainy days when I would have to crawl in mud and over rocks, which hurt me.”
Monica dreams of becoming a doctor and encourages parents and learners with disabilities to maintain a positive attitude.
“Parents who have children with disabilities should not feel disappointed or ashamed. With proper support, these children can lead successful and meaningful lives,” Monica concludes.
We believe everyone has the right to quality education. Find out more about our LEARN project.
Breaking barriers: FCA Uganda ensures access to education for children with disabilities
Leticia Kanyere is a 14-year-old deaf student. She came to Sweswe Special Needs Education (SNE) Unit after her family heard about their inclusivity scheme. She now stays at the boarding school facilities with her friends, and loves it.
Children with disabilities in refugee settlements are especially vulnerable to stigmatisation, exclusion, isolation, and violence. These barriers limit their abilities to access education, essential services, form relationships with their peers, and foster psychosocial well-being.
“I like the school because it’s easy to make friends. We easily understand each other because we use the same language. In my village, only a few people understand sign language so it’s hard to communicate,” says Leticia, who is doing well in class and wants to become a hairdresser in the future.
Leticia Kanyere is loving her time at Sweswe SNE. Here people know sign language, and communicating is easier. PHOTO: BJÖRN UDD / FCA
In order to provide inclusive education, Finn Church Aid (FCA) constructed a fully-fledged Special Needs Education Unit at Sweswe Primary School in Kyaka II refugee settlement. The unit was a big undertaking and came together thanks to funding from several donors. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland paid for the unit itself. Then, the U.S department of State, Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) supported the construction of a fence around the SNE unit to enhance the safety of the learners. Finally, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) supports operations in the school.
The support provided to the SNE unit enhances closer supervision, opportunities for safeguarding, and the ability to identify and address children’s psychological, social, and medical needs. This fosters an inclusive environment where learners can stay in school and feel supported.
The facility launched in 2022 and supports learners from both Kyaka II and the neighbouring Rwamwanja refugee settlement. It opened its doors to children and adolescents with disabilities from host and refugee communities, bringing enormous relief to both the children and their families.
Alex Dusabe, 16, also enjoys coming to school. “I used to have many challenges back home but when I came to Sweswe SNE, I made friends with the teachers, and they support me,” he says.
Many of the students at Sweswe feel the school has helped them make friends. Alex Dusabe is no exception, and has several friends among his classmates. PHOTO: BJÖRN UDD / FCA
Finn Church Aid trains teachers at the facility in special needs education and management so they can both engage with and take care of the learners.
The inclusive environment at the school makes it possible for learners with special needs to stay in school. The blocks at the facility have been constructed with ramps and rails and are accessible by wheelchair. The classrooms are brightly lit to help the visually impaired. Further improvements are planned to make students’ lives easier.
“The toilet facilities are near the dormitories and far from the dining hall. I would be grateful if we could get a boys’ toilet facility closer to the dining,” says Alex, who has a physical disability.
Alex Dusabe is actively involved in suggesting improvements to his school. PHOTO: BJÖRN UDD / FCA
Living Businge, a sign language teacher at the SNE Unit with 12 years’ experience, encourages adolescents and children with disabilities to go to school and access their right to quality education.
He’s had a long interest in the deaf community and decided to learn sign language so he could better support them as a teacher.
“Inclusive education provides learning opportunities to all individuals and caters to the diversity among learners. Among people with physical, sensory, mental, and intellectual disabilities, exclusion from education is most pronounced. The SNE unit at Sweswe presents a chance to eliminate the obstacles to participation and learning for students with severe disabilities that mainstream education cannot accommodate,” says Filbert Idha, the Education Technical Lead at Finn Church Aid.
The boarding school creates a safe environment for the learners, who do not have to travel long distances to school everyday. Here, learners with a physically disability sleep in the lower bunks. PHOTO: BJÖRN UDD / FCA
According to Uganda’s national Education Response Plan (ERP) for refugees and host communities, only 2% of learners with disabilities are enrolled in school (global average: 10%). Nationally, only 172,864 children with special needs (approximately 2% of total primary level enrollment) were enrolled in primary schools in 2022.
Disabilities among children who are refugees are reported to be mobility, cognition and vision, but most commonly anxiety and trauma related disorders.
Contract farming project delivers life-changing benefits for women farmers in Uganda
Traditionally, women have had a hard time making a living in Mityana, a rural town in central Uganda. Women are usually not allowed to own farming land, and the ones who have land at their disposal have had low and unpredictable crop yields. This is something the contract farming project, backed by Women’s Bank and Finn Church Aid, wanted to address.
CONTRACT FARMING is a system in which farmers enter into an agreement with a buyer under predetermined contractual obligations. The farmers produce for the market, as they are already assured that they will have a buyer, and what price they will get for their produce.
In some cases, the buyer might also support the farmers with agrotechnical knowledge, inputs and other production requirements to be assured of the best quality product.
“Before, I struggled to make ends meet. I would plant my crops and hope for the best. But now, I have a contract that guarantees to buy my maize at a fair price. I have also received training on how to improve my farming practices, and I have seen the results in my yields,” says one of the farmers, Celina Nelima, about her experience with contract farming.
With the money Celina Nelima has earned through contract farming and selling chips, she and her husband are building a new house. Picture: Björn Udd / FCA
“With the profits I make, I set up a fast foods business where I sell fried chips to the community in the evenings. I save enough money weekly, and now I am building my dream house. I am grateful to Finn Church Aid for their support,“ Nelima, 34, adds with a big smile.
Increased bargaining power
Finn Church Aid and Women’s Bank help build the linkages between the women farmers and buyers. One of those buyers is Egg Production Uganda Limited (EPL), which is set up by the Women’s Bank. Women are assisted in organising into groups, creating collective bargaining power, to negotiate fair trade deals with the buyers.
FCA and EPL provide women farmers with training and support in the community, such as business literacy, good agricultural practices, Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) methodology, gender awareness, leadership and short-term specialized livelihood trainings. Training has improved the lives of the women and helped them access seeds, fertilizers, and other things they need to start their businesses.
Bitamisi Nakibirango was able to start a tailoring shop. Now she makes school uniforms for the nearby schools to earn some extra income. PHOTO: Björn Udd / FCA
The results have been remarkable. The farmers have been able to increase their yields and household income significantly, take their children back to school with ease, access finances for investment through VSLAs, access medical services, gain respect in their communities, and be elected to leadership positions.
Women in control
Through this, the lives of the women farmers have transformed. They are no longer at the mercy of middlemen who would buy their crops at a low price or not at all. They now have a steady income and can plan for the future.
Bitamisi Nakibirango, 52 years says, “I used to walk 7 kilometers to go to the market to sell my produce, now EPL collects the produce from the bulking center which is not far from my home. This has allowed me to save time and money.”
The success of the contract farming system in Mityana has also had a ripple effect in the community. Other farmers have seen the benefits and are now interested in joining the program. Finn Church Aid Uganda continues to work with the farmers to expand the program and ensure its sustainability.
In Mityana, over 700 women, from as many households, with an average of 6 household members each, were introduced to contract farming by Finn Church Aid Uganda (FCA). FCA is a non-profit organization that works to promote sustainable livelihoods in rural communities in a program that was initiated on January 3rd 2021.
In Nepal’s Far West, pig and vegetable farming is the main source of livelihood for former bonded labourers
Former bonded labourers in Nepal’s Far Western Region earn a modest living by raising pigs and growing vegetables. FCA offers support to local people to help them earn a living, but in the most impoverished villages severe drought and all-engulfing fires make life extremely challenging.
IN A NORMAL summer, the Mohana River floods across the flat terrain all the way to the village of Bipatpur. Taking vegetables across the river to India would require a boat and a skipper.
In Nepal’s Far West, the annual monsoon season usually starts in early June, but this year the rains were weeks late. For local women, crossing the border from Nepal to India seems fairly easy; all they have to do is lift up their saris, roll up their trouser legs and wade across the river. It has been scorching hot for nearly two weeks now, with temperature rising above 40 degrees.
The ground is parched, and plants and people are desperate for water. Some of the wells in the village have dried up and there is no point in looking for new ones because finding groundwater is too uncertain and the costs of digging too high.
This has been an exceptional year in more ways than one. This spring, following a disaster in April that destroyed the harvest and stores, the women of Bipatpur had nothing to sell to the Indian vegetable markets across the river.
During a normal summer the water in the Mohana river is much higher by June. The women of Bipatpur village cross the river to sell their vegetables on the Indian side. Photo: Uma Bista
“Only people were saved”
Burning crop residue on the fields to release nutrients is an annual tradition in Bipatpur. This year, an unpredictable and exceptionally strong wind caused the fire to spread quickly and uncontrollably. Houses, food containers, and livestock shelters burned down one after another. The fire destroyed or damaged the homes of 71 families and killed domestic animals.
Villagers cleared away the charred tree trunks, but the sad and disheartened feelings remain.
“Only people were saved,” the women say.
The fire also engulfed a large chunk of the village cooperative’s savings, which were kept in a box. Belmati Devi Chaudhary, 42, looks at the charred remains of her house.
“Everything is gone. All we have is emergency aid.”
Belmati Devi Chaudhary and her son Sanjay Chaudhary outside of their temporary house at Bipadpur in Kailari Rural Municipality-7, Kailali district. They lost all their pigs on fire in April. FCA Nepal provided support to the Chaudhary family to rebuild their house. Photo: Uma Bista
A sow the family had bought with financial support from Finn Church Aid died in the fire. Without a mother to care for them, five piglets died, too. This was a huge loss for the Chaudhary family.
The money Belmati Devi Chaudhary had earned from pig farming helped her to pay for her children’s schooling. Standing next to his mother, the family’s eldest son Sanjay Chaudhary, 23, looks helpless.
“I may have to go to Kathmandu to find work. It’s difficult to get a paid job here,” he says.
For many years, scores of young Nepalese men have left for the capital city or for India in search of odd jobs, but Belmati doesn’t want her son to follow in their footsteps.
Like many others in Bipatpur and in the surrounding Kailali District, the Chaudhary family are former bonded labourers. Although Nepal’s 200-year-old Haliya and Kamayia bonded labour systems were abolished in the early 2000s, many former bonded labourers and their descendants are still very vulnerable.
Houses, food containers, and livestock shelters burned down one after another in April in the village of Bipatpur, Far West region of Nepal. The fire destroyed or damaged the homes of 71 families and killed domestic animals. Photo: Uma Bista
Sustainable livelihood with pig farming
Jumani Chaudhary, 50, is one of 29 women in a group supported by FCA. These women run a pig farm in the municipality of Gauriganga. They have learned how to make porridge for pigs from corn and wheat milling byproducts.
“By feeding pigs porridge, we save on feeding costs, and the pigs are healthier and grow faster,” Jumani Chaudhary says.
The women plan to start selling their pig feed to other pig farmers. To safeguard feed production, they would like to set up their own mill.
Gaumati Sunuwar, 56, has received support from FCA on pig farming in Amargadhi, Dadeldhura district. Photo: Uma Bista
In a pig pen, three different-coloured pigs oink and jostle for food. Sows are less than a year old when they produce their first litter. Typically they can produce two litters a year, around ten piglets each time. With the right care and nutrition, pigs grow quickly.
“A full-grown boar is worth up to 30,000 rupees,” says Bishni Chaudhary, 43.
Sheela Chaudhary, 22, with her son Ronim Chaudhary at Gauriganga, Kailali district 2. FCA Nepal provides nutrition packages to Sheela’s son. Photo: Uma Bista
Sanu Chaudhary, 27, who lives next door and is also a member of the women’s group, says she recently sold seven pigs for 50,000 rupees. Converted to euros, the sums seem somewhat modest: a thousand rupees equals roughly seven euros. But in the Far Western Region of Nepal, this money goes a long way. You can buy a school uniform for your child, meals for the entire school year, a water bottle and school supplies.
“Pig farming is easier and requires less work than buffalo farming. Buffaloes only produce milk part of the year, when they nurse their calves,” Jumani Chaudhary explains.
When buffaloes don’t produce milk, they produce nothing, but cost ten times the price of a pig.
“Before, we had to beg for food”
The road further west to the Dadeldhura district twists and turns along the lush green hills. Compared to the flat terrains of Kailali, Dadeldhura is topographically much more uneven. The winding road barely fits our car, giving the scenic drive an extra twist. Finally, we arrive in the village of Ganyapdhura.
We can see hints of green on the terraced farms even though the rains are late. The Dalit community living here grows cauliflower, potatoes and zucchini. Growing vegetables is more than a livelihood; it has given the community a sense of value.
“Before, we had to beg for food, but now we grow vegetables for sale,” says Gita Devi Sarki, 38.
In 2019, Finn Church Aid helped the community further improve its farming efficiency by supporting the Sarki family and 24 other local farmers in the introduction of tunnel farming. The plastic cover of the tunnel protects the vegetables from the elements and retains moisture. The community also received a walk-behind tractor, which makes plowing much easier. Gita Devi Sarki is the only woman who knows how to operate the machine – and even she needs her husband’s help to start it.
Gita Devi Sarki plows a field using a hand tractor to plant vegetables at Kholibasti, Ganyapdhura Rural municipality in Dadeldhura. The couple is now working together and hoping to expand their vegetable farming with the support they receive from FCA. Photo: Uma Bista
“Before, our farm was just big enough to produce corn and wheat for our own family. Now we can save 410 rupees each month by selling some of the vegetables we grow,” she says.
Most importantly, having a more secure livelihood meant that Gita’s husband Padam Bahadur Sarki, 42, was able to return home from India, where he worked for twenty years. The couple have been together for 22 years and have four children. Almost all this time, Gita Devi Sarki was in charge of the family’s day-to-day life, alone.
“I returned to Nepal due to the COVID-19 lockdowns,” he says.
“It’s a good thing you came back,” Gita Devi Sarki says, with a grin.
“Yeah, it’s been OK,” her husband replies, causing the group of women sitting around him to burst into laughter.
Having her husband back has reduced Gita Devi Sarki’s workload in the farms. The family plans to expand their business to raising goats and small-scale fish farming in a small pond in the valley.
Bahadur Damai, 52, (centre) with his family at Ganyapdhura Rural Municipality in Dadeldhura district received support from FCA for chicken farming. In the spring of 2022, Bahadur Damai was elected as a ward member in the local government. Photo: Uma Bista
From bonded labourer to a member of a local government
A pretty little house has a downstairs door open, and a wide-eyed cow peeks through the door. Bahadur Damai, 52, beckons to visitors to join him in the shade under a canopy. Back in the early 2000s, before the abolition of the Haliya system, he was a bonded labourer, mending other people’s clothing. Today, he smiles happily as he talks to us about his chickens and a small tailor’s shop he has opened in a nearby village centre.
Money has given his family a more stable livelihood, allowing him to buy things like a television. He has also been able to pay for the weddings of his two adult daughters, something that clearly makes him very proud.
One of his greatest achievements, however, was being elected a member of the local government in May.
Bahadur Damai, 52, used to make an inadequate living by sewing people’s clothes. Now he has a steady income raising chickens on his own farm in Ganyapdhura in Dadeldhura district. Photo: Uma Bista
“It’s all thanks to FCA that I am where I am now. I received support for vegetable and chicken farming, and I’ve been able to build relationships that won me votes in the election.” He pauses mid-sentence when a gust of wind tries to rip off the chicken coop’s corrugated iron roof. Bahadur Damai gestures at his son, telling him to put big stones on the roof to keep it in place.
“A new chicken coop would be nice,” he says. Suddenly he becomes serious.
“You know, my wife and I only have one significant difference: she has aged faster.”
The look on his face says this is not a joke.
“Women age faster here because their lives are so much harder that men’s. It is a local tradition that women eat after everyone else, whatever is left. Pregnancies, childbirths, hard physical labour…As an elected member of the local government, I intend to raise awareness of the problems women have in our communities, such as the disproportionate burden of domestic work and domestic violence,” Bahadur Damai says.
But that’s not the only thing he wants to draw attention to. In this district, former bonded labourers are still not eligible for the Nepali government rehabilitation programme, which promises them land ownership, education for children, and employment opportunities for young people.
Charred trees are a reminder of the fire that brought the small village of Bipatpur to its knees in April. Photo: Uma Bista
Bank accounts secure the future
In Bipatpur, the village women have gathered together under a canopy. In fact, this used to be a house, one of the women points out. The charred roof beams have been removed and replaced with new ones. At noon, the sun is beating down, and the temperature in the shade is approaching forty degrees. It turns out that the name of the village, Bipatpur, means disaster in the local language. This village has certainly had its fair share of disasters, from floods to fires.
People from Bipatpur gathered to receive cash support from FCA Nepal in order to rebuild houses which were destroyed by the fire in April at Kailari Rural Municipality. The village was also provided support during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Uma Bista
But perhaps today things will take a turn for the better. Representatives of the local government and the bank will be visiting the village. With support from FCA, every family that lost their house in the spring fire will receive a humanitarian cash transfer. For those whose homes were damaged to some degree, 13,500 rupees, or about 106 euros, will be offered for reconstruction, and those who suffered the greatest losses will receive 34,500 rupees, or 270 euros. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, families and the elderly will receive an additional 500 rupees.
For the first time, cash transfers will be paid to women’s own bank accounts. This ensures that their money is safe, and that even if another disaster strikes the village, not all of their possessions will be gone.
Text: Elisa Rimaila Photos: Uma Bista Translation: Leni Vapaavuori
Finn Church Aid has had a country office in Nepal since 2013. Our work focuses on providing income opportunities for former bonded labourers, on ensuring the realisation of their rights, and on improving women’s livelihoods. After the earthquake in 2015, we built safe school facilities for 44,000 children, trained teachers and supported mental recovery. In 2021, we took action to alleviate the food insecurity affecting nearly 18,000 people as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elisha Chaudhary sleeps while her mother Sajita Chaudhary is attending a meeting at Bipatpur. Photo: Uma Bista
