Nisha is one of the young Nepalese women supported in their reconstruction by our partner Chhori. With this association, we have just opened a new social center in Kathmandu to provide medical and psychosocial support to young women victims of sexual abuse. Simply to help them to rebuild after an abuse. Discover his testimony.
"My name is Nisha, I am 18 years old and I belong to the so-called untouchable caste.
I come from a family of farmers in west-central Nepal. As we have no land, we have always had a hard time making ends meet.
When I was 11 years old, a guy in my neighborhood drugged me and when I woke up, I was in India. He raped me and forced me to become his wife before taking me back to Nepal.
I got pregnant when I was 12 years old.
I had a miscarriage.
I had two more miscarriages at the age of 13.
My in-laws were mentally torturing me. I was being sexually abused all the time. They didn't care about me.
When I saw my condition, a man helped me: he managed to take me to the hospital. He found my family and brought me back to my parents.
But now I was disgraced. People in my community blamed me. I was not given the chance to reintegrate.
So I fled to Kathmandu to find a job and live on my own.
Through acquaintances, I ended up working in a restaurant as a waitress.
I had a very big dream, to study.
I had hopes of finding a good job and continuing my education.
But I was working 18 hours a day. No time to study.
The place where he housed me was dark, very dirty and leaking. He was exploiting me.
So I moved to another hotel where the guests were abusing the girls. I suffered more and more abuse from the customers and sexual harassment.
And still no time to go to school.
I started looking for help to get out of it.
After a few months, I met a girl, the vice-president of the Chhori association. She had managed to rebuild herself after abuse.
I went to the Chhori shelter and stayed there. I started my schooling in class 6 (6th grade). I passed my exam and I am now in class 7 (5th).
At the same time, I do some handicrafts and sewing for Chhori.
I feel better. I feel lucky to be able to realize my dream of studying.
At Chhori's, I feel more comfortable than in my own home."
The sales of our Pariwartan bracelet will help girls like Nisha get out of prostitution and into society.
With the Pariwartan bracelet, which means "change" in Nepali, you are asserting women's right to respect and dignity, changing their lives.
