Transcript Findings of Social Challanges - KOPILA

Kopila Nepal
Established in 2001
Working with Children and Women in Nepal
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Kopila Nepal
Established in 2001
Working with Children and Women in Western Region of Nepal
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About Nepal
Land-locked country between India and China
Total population: 26.5 million
Only 17% of the population resides in urban areas
Extremely diverse country (92 mother tongues)
The majority of the population are Hindu
Adult Literacy Rate (6 and over): 53%
Life expectancy: 68 years
Home of Mt. Everest and the highest altitude lake in
the world (Tilicho)
Situation of Women and Girls in Nepal
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Women and girls in Nepal are discriminated against in
nutrition and health, education, paid work, and decisionmaking power from the household to the national level
Women’s literacy 42.5%
Girls are less likely than boys to be enrolled in the
schools, (secondary school participation is 46% for boys
and 38% for girls)
Women are less likely to be employed for cash or inkind (30% of women vs. 81% of men)
Only 46% of married women participate in decisions
concerning their own health care, major household
purchases and visits to relatives
Majority of women experience domestic violence
Two girls that Kopila
supported are in the school
Introduction
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KOPILA- Nepal: ‘kopila’
means flower bud. It also
stands for Keep Our People
Informed, Learning, and
Active/Action
Working in remote areas in
western Nepal since 2001
Focus= children, women and
people with psychosocial
disabilities
Including head of the
organization more than 75%
staff are women
Separate executive and
implementing body
The District government acknowledged Kopila as one of the top 10
organisations in the area working with local people
Mission and Vision
Kopila envisions a society
in which:
•The rights of all people
are respected
•All people have equal
access to information and
opportunities
•Governing bodies are
responsive to citizens
•All people live in peace
Kaski- One of Kopila’s working areas
Kopila strives to make sure that marginalized people in our working areas are able to
enjoy their fundamental human rights and psychosocial wellbeing.
How we work?
Capacity building through mutual help
Family
Children
Community
&
Women
Teachers
Policy
makers
Major
areas
of work
Kopila’s Achievements with MRDF’s support
Kopila has worked with 3,230 people
to provide training on:
• Women’s rights
•Gender sensitisation – how gender roles
affect society and what can be changed
•Legal awareness of property rights,
inheritance rights, etc.
•Loan Management and leadership skills
Kopila has also provided:
•16 self-help groups reaching 525 marginalised
women
•Microfinance Management training to 150 selfhelp and parents’ group leaders
•Legal advice and trauma counseling to 525 selfhelp group members
•Support to 90 people suffering from mental
health problems
•Provided educational support to over 1,000
children
•Involved 2000 Children in child’s rights
clubs and group mobilization training
•Trained 450 teachers from 130 schools in
child-friendly teaching methods
•Trained approximately 600 teachers and
parents in building a safer environment for
girls
•240 children are trained on theater for
development training
• 250 children are train on hero booking
Qualitative Achievements
• 16 self help groups are independently
running their regular meeting
• 250 women are actively involved in
agro-based income generation
activities
• Community level stakeholders are
concerned on the issues of women and
children in their respective VDCs
• 1000 children at risk of dropping out
are regular in the school
• Domestic violence and early marriage
have been decreased
• Women’s participation in local level
decision making is increased
• Girl students have increased selfconfidence to talk about gender based
discrimination
Children are independently facilitating community
level awareness activities
Children from difficult circumstances are enjoying their rights to education
The right to citizenship realised
Man Kumari Bardewa is a 40 year old widow with three children. She was hardly able to
provide for the basic needs of her children. Five years ago her husband, Balbahadur,
had committed suicide. she did not have a citizenship card, she was not able to get any
support provisioned by the government of Nepal for widow women. She requested her
father-in-law to help her to obtain citizenship card. However, he was not happy to help
her as this would also facilitate her rights to the family property.
She meet Kopila-Nepal’s local staff and shared her story. With the support of KopilaNepal’s staff she became a member of Self-Help Group in her village. She received goats
for the income generation purpose. Her children got educational materials and they are
regular in the school. She also shared her problem about citizenship. Kopila’s staff and
chairperson of the SHG met with the Village Development Committee secretary, and
some of the political party leaders and talked about her problem.” Within a month she
got Citizenship certificate.
She says, "through Self-Help group I got...a place to share my sorrows...While I am with
SHG member I feel that I am not alone, I am safe and protected.” She recalls "KopilaNepal's staff, Mina Dura made us aware about domestic violence, their types and the
rights of the women. Now she eligible to get all facilities provided by government of
Nepal for the women like her.
Durga Develops Her Self-Confidence
Durga Thapa, 26, is single woman. Because of her family problem she dropped out
from school after the 7th grade and started to help her parents in the farming. 6 years
ago she met a man from her neighbouring village who was living in the capital of the
country and they fell in love. After 2 years Durga became pregnant. She told him about
her pregnancy and requested to marry. In the last month of her pregnancy, he came to
the village and took her to the nearest city where they stayed in a hotel for 6 nights.
Then he turned off his cell phone and disappeared.
Durga was scared to go back to her parents’ home. She recalled, "I thought of
committing suicide.” However, she met one of her relatives and went to the relative’s
home, where she found out that her boyfriend was already married. After giving birth,
she returned to her own parents’ home. However, the community people gossiped about
her, and her parent’s often neglected the needs of her and her baby. "Again, I thought it
is better to leave this selfish world" she recalled.
After 2 years, Durga and other women in difficulties formed Sayapatri self-help group.
With the support of Kopila-Nepal Durga and her group members got training on
women's rights and income generation. Through the training and seed money support
provided by Kopila-Nepal, Durga started a small shop in her village. She and some of
her group members have good earning and are able to feed and send their children to
school. She said, “Today I have feel that I can play the role of a mother and became a
contributing member of my village. Thanks very much for Kopila-Nepal for all the
support.”
The end of violence and torture to Goma
Goma Thapa, 30, had married with a local man 8 years ago. After 3 years of
marriage her husband died. After this, family members used bad words with her,
she was beaten by them and they did not allow her to stay in the family home. They
accused her of meeting other men when in fact she was just going for daily wages
work in the village. Despite the efforts of neighbors and local groups, the torture did
not stop.
Kopila Nepal organized a training on Gender and Development in October 2011.
Goma actively participated in the training and shared all her sufferings in the group
with tears in her eyes. The group asked Kopila Nepal to make a visit to Goma’s
home and to take further action to end violence and discrimination to Goma.
Accordingly, a staff of Kopila Nepal, along with the help of the ex-chairperson of the
ward, organized a community meeting to discuss the problem. In the meeting, the
family agreed that Goma will receive her share of property equal to other members,
the family will provide Rs.200,000 to construct a small house, and until the house
construction is complete, the family will provide a room to stay for Goma and her
son. The torture and violence to Goma has ended now. She is living peacefully with
her son. Goma and all the community people highly appreciated Kopila Nepal’s
efforts to end domestic violence and discrimination against women.
Kopila-Nepal’s Office/Training
Center
Our Dream in Ten Years Time
• Kopila-Nepal will be a resource organization in
the field of women, children, and people with
psychosocial disability
• Kopila-Nepal will serve as a bridge with
community based organizations and funding
organizations
• Counseling services will be available to
persons in need in the Western Region
• Men, women, boys, and girls will be treated
equally, and have equal participation at all
levels in our working areas.
Challenges
-Very poor government support system
-People not being aware of rights and duties, as well as
psychosocial issues
- People expecting material support
-Our target group have many interlinked problems, each of
which need to be addressed to truly have change in their lives
-Geographically difficult area
-Threats from persons who are in power politically and
socially
-Lack of sustainable or long-term funding resource
-NGOs image as dollar making group
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We put hands together, to support destitute women and
children, to be independent, happy, and healthy.