A Voice For the Voiceless
The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.
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- Afghan Women's Network
- The Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization
- eHomemakers
- Home for Human Rights
- Jagaran Media Center
- Oruj Learning Center
- Association for Empowerment of People with Disabilities
- Backward Society Education (BASE)
- The Love Blanket Project
- Chintan Environmental Action and Research Group
- Women's Reproductive Rights Program (WRRP)
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The Love Blanket
To generate international awareness and support for BASE’s anti- child labor initiatives and to promote the fight against child labor, BASE collaborated with Child Friendly Villages across southwest Nepal to produce the Children’s Love Blanket. The Love Blanket is an international advocacy tool that represents a Child Friendly Village’s commitment to end child labor and promote children’s rights, including the right to education. The Child Friendly Village is a unique concept developed by BASE to make villages child labor-free and to ensure access to quality education to all children.
Read more about the "The Love Blanket" and the child artists.
This history of BASE is the history of the Tharu people, who are one of more than 100 indigenous groups in Nepal. Beginning in the 1950s, Tharus were driven off their land by higher caste settlers and forced to work as kamaiya, or bonded laborers. Their children were forced to work the land of the landlords with little or no compensation instead of attending school. Due to their lower caste, successive generations of Tharus faced social, economic, and political discrimination. Bonded labor is now outlawed in Nepal, but former bonded laborers and their children continue to be marginalized and denied basic rights, including the right to education.
Recognizing that education is the key to uplifting marginalized people, BASE fights against exploitation through education, social mobilization and community development under the slogan “Education First”. BASE’s programs also focus on other need-based areas including health, disaster preparedness and relief, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability and gender equity.
BASE was conceived in January of 1985, during the Tharu New Year (Maghi) Khyla meeting. A small group of Tharu youth urged Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary, a social activist and member of the Tharu community, to establish a rights-based development organization for their community, giving rise to the Charpate Club. The youth conducted a literacy class for Tharus and developed plans for income-generating activities. Initially, they supported the club with donations from relatives and their own savings.
Recognizing the need for sustainability, the youth began to perform community works projects including masonry, vegetable farming and Tharu cultural shows. After earning 700 rupees (less than USD $10), the club purchased books, pencils, slates and chalk for literacy classes. Through these classes, taught by the light of an earthen kerosene lamp, illiterate Tharus continued to learn for many years.
After the restoration of democracy in Nepal in 1990, the organization was renamed as Backward Society Education (BASE) and legally registered in Dang province. BASE has been extremely successful in mobilizing more than 200,000 members, including not only Tharus but also other indigenous people such as the Dalit (“untouchables”), economically poor communities, ex-kamaiyas, child laborers, disaster-affected people, and victims of armed conflict in the eight districts of Rukum, Salyan, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Kailali, and Kanchanpur.
Nilam Chaudhary, Child Club President of one of BASE’s Child Friendly Villages
As impoverished as it is, Chootkighumna’s Child Friendly Village status makes it one of the better environments for children in this area. These particular Child Club members did not know any child laborers personally because the practice has been eradicated in their village. But they are still working very hard to ensure that all children of school-age stay enrolled in classes.
What impressed me the most in Chootkighumna was the resolve and strength of the Child Club members. They were courteous to the strange, older Americans, but they were not afraid to truthfully voice their concerns (a leaky roof and the drop-out rate) and hopes (education for all and good teachers) when we began a discussion about child labor and education in their village.
One young lady in particular, the 16 year old President of the club named Nilam Chaudhary, spoke many times about the club’s activities and the importance of education. I could see why she had been elected President, as her charisma and confidence demanded the attention of everyone in the room.
Nilam and her friends emphasized independence and standing on their own strength. They seem to realize that education is the one, sure-fire way they can help themselves. BASE and other NGOs will continue to do good work, but these kids know that the strength of their united voice is their own greatest asset. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Sabita and Sima
Sabita (right) and Sima (left) sometimes seem like Siamese twins, living parallel lives, acting out the same story. Both sport the same boyish haircuts typical for young Nepali girls, and both invariably giggle between every sentence. Sima, 11, likes to eat oranges and study social studies, while Sabita, 10, likes mangoes and English. They both like to play volleyball. Even if you didn’t know their backgrounds, or perhaps even if you did, you might think they were sisters.
Sima lived out the classic child labor narrative. Following her father’s death, her mother, unable to support four children, sent Sima, then 9 years old, to the city with expectations that she could earn some money and attend school. These were false expectations, indeed, for Sima never visited a classroom. Instead, at the mercy of a house owner, Sima spent twelve to thirteen hours a day performing domestic labor. She cleaned the house, washed dishes, did laundry, cooked meals, tended to the kitchen garden and collected cow dung for use as fertilizer. Exhausted at night, attending school was an elusive dream.
At the same time, less than 25 kilometers away, a rich lawyer, who later denied the claim, was purchasing then 8 year-old Sabita. A law student tenant with a different story may or may not have played a role in the transaction. As a pawn in a web of shady transactions and incongruous stories, Sabita was also living out another classic child labor narrative. However, regardless of how she came to be in the lawyer’s home, Sabita’s story of what happened after arriving was clear:
“I used to clean the TV room, sitting room and kitchen and corridor and my room too. I used to wash uncle and auntie’s clothes. Sometimes there weren’t many dishes so I would do them alone. When there were guests, there were too many dishes so the aunt would wash with me. They used to scold me when I made a mistake. If I didn’t clean the dishes properly they’d say, ‘Look how dirty these dishes are, if you don’t clean properly we’ll get diseases!’ I stayed there for many days. One day, Uncle and Aunt went somewhere for a few days. Then I was just staying alone and I was so hungry.”
Enter BASE. In the spring of 2009, BASE conducted a series of child labor raid and rescue missions that, in conjunction with other anti-child labor initiatives, rescued more than 1,000 children in a two-year period. Sabita and Sima’s parallel lives converged as they were rescued and taken to a BASE rehabilitation center where they received initial care and support. Sabita was later taken back to her home, but with her father dead, mother run away with another man, and brother burdened with financial problems, she decided to return to BASE’s care. Both girls ultimately embraced their newfound freedom by demanding the rights of children as participants in the BASE-organized Nepal March for Education, part of the Global March Against Child Labor.
Sabita and Sima now live at the Children’s Peace Home, a charitable initiative providing care to underprivileged children, and ride a school bus everyday to the Hindu Vidyapeeth School, a prestigious boarding school. With their lives interwoven, they share many things—a penchant for studying, compassion for their friends and the joy of youth. Above all though, they share the same strength and resilience—and hopefully, because of BASE’s intervention, the same bright future. (Profile by Adrienne Hench 2010 Peace Fellow)
Sarbourati Chaudhary
Sarbourati Chaudhary is terribly shy. Although she is fourteen, she would barely mumble her answers to the simplest questions, such as “what is your favorite food?” (apples, oranges, and mangoes) or “do you have any brothers or sisters?” (lots of brothers). When asked about her favorite thing to do for fun, she couldn’t supply any answer at all. (Fun? Incomprehensible.) But at least Sarbourati’s broken life is on the mend. She worked in a private home in a bustling metropolis of 64,000, Nepalgunj, for two years because her family was very poor. Although Sarbourati was sent away, her older and younger brothers stayed at home and attended school. Like many daughters of impoverished families across Nepal, Sarbourati was singled out to become the child laborer who left the family. Sarbourati said that she missed her family very much while she was working in Nepalgunj. When Child Friendly Village committee members told her that she could go and live at the Girls Rescue Hostel and attend the Aansubarma High School, she jumped at the chance to stop working, travel to a new place, and gain new knowledge. Sarbourati still misses her family, since they do not live near her school. But she wishes to study science and become a doctor, and she knows that a good education is the only way for her to achieve her goal. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Saru Chaudhary
Saru Chaudhary, now a timid girl of 16, prepared food and cleaned in a private home in Basgadi for three years. Her mother was sick when she was very small, and her father could not afford the necessary medicine. Saru would be scolded if she did not do her work well enough. As she divulged this, her eyes filled up with tears, and then she became very embarrassed. She is relieved to be back at home, living with her father, brother, and sister-in-law. Saru is now in class 7. She really likes to eat masu (meat), and her favorite activity is morning exercises. She is beautiful and courageous, but there is a stark difference between her demeanor and confidence and that of other children who were never sent away. Some of the children in the Santi Ekala Bala child club performed songs, made speeches, and generally acted as children do who are proud to show off their village to foreign visitors. Saru was very reserved and sorrowful. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Sangita Chaudhary
Sangita Chaudhary’s mother died a few years ago because her family could not afford the proper medicine. Desperate to feed his five children, her father sent her away to Dungari to wash clothes, cut grasses, and clean houses for two years. Festivals were always the worst time of the year for Sangita, because the people that she worked for would continuously change their clothes and dirty the dishes with all of the feasts. Sangita would not be able to clean everything fast enough or well enough to suit her employers. Sangita’s two older brothers and her older sister also worked in Kathmandu. Now Sangita and her sister have returned to their home, but her brothers are 18 years old and they will not leave Kathmandu or re-enroll in school. Sangita is very happy to be back in school. She especially enjoys studying Nepali, and she wants to learn English as well. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
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Singh Bahini
Singh Bahini (center) is a member of the “pressure group” in her Child Friendly Village. As the leader of her seven-member group, she is responsible for talking to parents who send their children into urban areas to work as laborers. She coordinates the efforts of BASE, other NGOs, and government officials who work to rescue child laborers. Singh tries her best to explain the value of education to uneducated parents. If adults are uneducated themselves, then they have a very hard time understanding why sending their daughters and sons to school will better ensure their futures than sending them into Nepalganj or Gorahi for a life that at least comes with an assurance of regular meals and clothing. Singh and the pressure group are usually able to convince the parents to bring their children back and put them into school if the CFV committee pays for the uniforms and school supplies. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Dilli Chaudhary—BASE Founder and President
On January of 1985, a 17-year old youth named Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary urged Tharu people in Dumrigaon to establish a development organization for their community. The organization began with 34 members, mostly consisting of young Tharu men from Dumrigaon and neighboring villages. Within a month of its inception, the Dumrigaon organization established a literacy class for uneducated local Tharu villagers. The members also planned to implement an income-generating program and to launch a political campaign against oppression from landlords in the politically and economically dominant higher castes.
Due to this initiative, Dumrigaon Organization 4H Club was formed. Later, this organization was persecuted by Nepali government officials who (1) refused to grant the organization an official charter on the pretext that its members where too political; (2) Refused to prosecute those landlords who were guilty of violence against Dumrigaon Organization 4H club members; and (3) Falsely accused the organization of planning terrorist activities against the Nepali government. Despite harassment by landlords, Tharu membership in the Dumrigaon organization rose steadily from 34 to 350 within three years.
This rise in membership was due to Dilli’s success in convincing Tharu that the Dumrigaon Organization would raise their social and economic status and stop oppression by high caste landlords.
The period from January to April 1990 was particularly desperate for Dilli and his organization. During this time, Dilli had negligible moral and financial support from any outside organization. He was under tremendous pressure from government officials and was almost destitute, having no income and receiving only food and shelter from his own, rather poor family. Yet Dilli never gave up, and he continued to work tirelessly. He walked from one village to the next, often late at night, exhorting the Tharu to continue their struggle to liberate themselves from bonded labor, theft of land, discrimination in schools and government offices, and other forms of oppression.
After the revolution and restoration of democracy in Nepal in April of 1990, government repression of Dilli and his organization decreased sharply. Support for Dilli's work increased, coming from a number of different sources. This post-resolution support initially came from the British Volunteer Services, who donated kerosene, notebooks, textbooks and pens for the literacy classes run by Dilli's organization, renamed Backward Society Education (BASE) by a group of British Volunteers, peace corps volunteers, and Nepalese people. BASE was legally registered in the District Administration Office, Dang, in the Nepali year of 2047.
BASE’s nine-year struggle against the system of bonded labour finally culminated in a large civil disobedience movement against bonded labour. The government of Nepal abolished the system on July 17, 2000, liberating more than 36,000 bonded labourers. In addition to achieving the abolition of the bonded labour system, BASE secured the passage of a minimum wage law in Nepal and negotiated the release of more than 500 bonded labourers prior to the passage of the July abolition law.
Churna Bahadur Chaudhary—BASE Executive Director
Mr. Churna Bahadur Chaudhary is a senior career officer with Backward Society Education (BASE). Mr. Chaudhary has worked in variety of positions at BASE. Before becoming Executive Director of BASE, he gained rich experience abroad in Bangladesh, serving as a District Program Coordinator for the UNDP’s Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF) Project from June 2007 to September 2008. He was then named District Program Advisor at the UNDP from November 2008 to September 2009. Previously, Mr. Chaudhary had worked for BASE as a community mobilizer and health councilor (1993- 1994), Education Program Coordinator (1995-1996), and Director (1997-2007).
Mr. Chaudhary earned a Masters in Rural Development Management from Khon Kaen University, Thailand, in 2004. He has received several international level trainings, such as Training on Rural Management at the Institute of Rural Management in India; Training on Community Mobilization in Bangladesh; and Organizing for Rights and Community Development and Management training in Nepal. He has also participated in several national and international symposiums on development related issues.
Sumitra’s Story
My parents know the value of education. My father always encouraged me to go to school. In my village, my family was the first to send a daughter to school. Despite being very interested in studying, my cousin only made it through the third grade before being married at age 21. Next my elder sister was enrolled. She made it through the tenth grade before being married at age 19. That’s what girls did. They got married and took care of their new families.
Finally, it was my turn. While most girls didn’t want to go to school because the classes were full of boys and parents didn’t see the value of investing in education for girls, I was able to complete through the tenth grade. I wanted to continue studying, but my family wasn’t ready to invest. They didn’t want to spend money on me for higher education, because I was a girl. I cried a lot to my father and uncles. I begged them over and over to let me go to college. Finally, my father agreed, though he couldn’t convince my uncles.
First, I got an intermediate degree at a local college. Then I went to a university in the city of Nepalganj for my bachelor’s degree. During my second year, I was hired to participate in on-the-job training with BASE. Due to the hours and location of the office, I was no longer able to attend class. However, with my earnings, I could afford to purchase the books and course materials and study independently. For three years I did this, only going to the university campus to complete the exams. My friends said that I was doing really hard work. It was challenging, since I couldn’t attend the lectures, but I always preferred to study so I didn’t mind. At work I encouraged my colleagues to attend college though they felt it was impossible to manage their time between work and school. From 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM I worked at the office, and in the evenings I studied.
Once I got my bachelor’s degree I felt I had to leave BASE and go for a higher degree in Kathmandu. At that time Dilli Chaudhary, the President of BASE, encouraged me to apply for a scholarship though the Nepal Embassy, offered by the Rai Foundation. With BASE’s recommendation, I was awarded the scholarship and went to Delhi, India for my MBA. Now I am working for BASE as a Program Coordinator of the Youth Action Fund and simultaneously completing a second master’s degree in Public Administration.
Being Tharu
In my Village Development Committee (collection of about ten villages), I am the only Tharu girl who has earned a Master’s degree. In total there are only six people from my village who have received a Master’s. Of the other five boys, only two are Tharu.
Everyone says that the Tharu community is backward. I think we are not backward but that we are made backward by other castes. Many years ago, the Tharu used to produce crops, but they didn’t get proper wages or benefits for their labor. As a result, they didn’t have sufficient funds to send their children to school. Money is important for education. The Tharu had land, but they didn’t have the knowledge that they were required to legally register their land with the government. Other castes took advantage of their ignorance and seized ownership of the land. You see, Tharus lost their land due to their lack of education.
Tharu are very hard working people. You will never see a Tharu sitting idle. They just don’t earn enough, and they don’t know how to modernize their agricultural practices so they are stuck in poverty. As a result, the Tharu don’t have access to the government and lack political representation. I think we have to get to the top. Education is the way to get to there.
The Value of Education
My father suffered a lot of problems due to lack of education. When he was in the third grade, his father died. After that he had to manage all the family affairs: provide the income and do everything necessary for the survival of his mother and siblings. He was only 12 years old. His education ended at that point so that’s why he has always felt that he should encourage his own children to go to school.
Most Tharu girls get married at age 16, but I am still studying. Because of my achievements, many people use me as an example. They say, “Look at Sumitra, she is studying, maybe we can be like her.” I feel so proud.
Education is important for everybody but especially for Tharus. If we are educated, we can get good jobs in the government or NGO sector. Then we can make real change. But if we are not educated, how can we expect change?
I am not sure what I will do next. I would like to get a Master of Philosophy (doctorate) degree and work in finance. Whatever I do, I know that the power of education will help me to succeed. Hopefully, others will follow in my path. Even now my uncles realize the value of education! (Profile by Adrienne Henck 2010 Peace Fellow)
Peace Fellows
Adrienne Henck—2010 Fellow
Adrienne recently graduated from New York University with a Master’s degree in International Education. Her academic interests include human rights, non-formal education, development communications and the relationships between media, community and social change. In the fall of 2010, Adrienne began a Ph.D. at Penn State University in Educational Theory and Policy and Comparative and International Education. Read Adrienne’s blog.
Karie Cross—2010 Fellow
Karie is working on a Masters of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, with a specialization in International Development. Before moving to the Washington, DC area, she studied English and political science at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where she graduated with honors. In the past, Karie has volunteered for political campaigns, interned in Governor Mike Beebe's communications office, and served as a teaching assistant at the University of Maryland. Her research interests include gender equity, development ethics, and sustainable development. Read Karie’s blog.
Kan Yan—2009 Fellow
In 2006, Kan graduated with a BA in Plan II from the University of Texas at Austin. During this time, Kan conducted research on the education of Turkish students in Berlin, interned for the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former-Yugoslavia, interned for the Texas Speaker of the House on state education, and worked part-time for an anti-private prison campaign. Upon graduation, he undertook a year of exploring, teaching, traveling, and learning languages, then enrolled in Harvard Law School where he pursued a joint-degree student with the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Read Kan’s blog.
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Backward Society Education (BASE), Project Office
Tulsipur Municipality-6 Dang, Rapti Zone Nepal
Telephone Number: 0977-82-520055, 520312
Fax Number: 0977-82-522212
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Backward Society Education (BASE)
Backward Society Education (BASE) advocates for the creation of an equitable and progressive society through social, economic, humanitarian and institutional development.
Objectives
- To develop community awareness and leadership through rural community participation, organization and mobilization.
- To develop human rights awareness among the people and to promote people’s participation.
- To assist communities by making health and family planning services effective, while considering the preservation of the environment.
- To provide educational aid and advice, with a focus on literacy, to exploited ethnic groups for their intellectual development.
- To preserve disappearing cultures through cultural education.
- To develop relationships with civil society for the purpose of human and socio-economic development.
- To assist rescue efforts in times of natural disaster.
- To launch programs to increase the earnings of exploited ethnic groups by utilizing their own labor and skills.
The Love Blanket
To generate international awareness and support for BASE’s anti- child labor initiatives and to promote the fight against child labor, BASE collaborated with Child Friendly Villages across southwest Nepal to produce the Children’s Love Blanket. The Love Blanket is an international advocacy tool that represents a Child Friendly Village’s commitment to end child labor and promote children’s rights, including the right to education. The Child Friendly Village is a unique concept developed by BASE to make villages child labor-free and to ensure access to quality education to all children.Read more about the "The Love Blanket" and the child artists.
This history of BASE is the history of the Tharu people, who are one of more than 100 indigenous groups in Nepal. Beginning in the 1950s, Tharus were driven off their land by higher caste settlers and forced to work as kamaiya, or bonded laborers. Their children were forced to work the land of the landlords with little or no compensation instead of attending school. Due to their lower caste, successive generations of Tharus faced social, economic, and political discrimination. Bonded labor is now outlawed in Nepal, but former bonded laborers and their children continue to be marginalized and denied basic rights, including the right to education.
Recognizing that education is the key to uplifting marginalized people, BASE fights against exploitation through education, social mobilization and community development under the slogan “Education First”. BASE’s programs also focus on other need-based areas including health, disaster preparedness and relief, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability and gender equity.
BASE was conceived in January of 1985, during the Tharu New Year (Maghi) Khyla meeting. A small group of Tharu youth urged Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary, a social activist and member of the Tharu community, to establish a rights-based development organization for their community, giving rise to the Charpate Club. The youth conducted a literacy class for Tharus and developed plans for income-generating activities. Initially, they supported the club with donations from relatives and their own savings.
Recognizing the need for sustainability, the youth began to perform community works projects including masonry, vegetable farming and Tharu cultural shows. After earning 700 rupees (less than USD $10), the club purchased books, pencils, slates and chalk for literacy classes. Through these classes, taught by the light of an earthen kerosene lamp, illiterate Tharus continued to learn for many years.
After the restoration of democracy in Nepal in 1990, the organization was renamed as Backward Society Education (BASE) and legally registered in Dang province. BASE has been extremely successful in mobilizing more than 200,000 members, including not only Tharus but also other indigenous people such as the Dalit (“untouchables”), economically poor communities, ex-kamaiyas, child laborers, disaster-affected people, and victims of armed conflict in the eight districts of Rukum, Salyan, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Kailali, and Kanchanpur.
Nilam Chaudhary, Child Club President of one of BASE’s Child Friendly Villages
As impoverished as it is, Chootkighumna’s Child Friendly Village status makes it one of the better environments for children in this area. These particular Child Club members did not know any child laborers personally because the practice has been eradicated in their village. But they are still working very hard to ensure that all children of school-age stay enrolled in classes.
What impressed me the most in Chootkighumna was the resolve and strength of the Child Club members. They were courteous to the strange, older Americans, but they were not afraid to truthfully voice their concerns (a leaky roof and the drop-out rate) and hopes (education for all and good teachers) when we began a discussion about child labor and education in their village.
One young lady in particular, the 16 year old President of the club named Nilam Chaudhary, spoke many times about the club’s activities and the importance of education. I could see why she had been elected President, as her charisma and confidence demanded the attention of everyone in the room.
Nilam and her friends emphasized independence and standing on their own strength. They seem to realize that education is the one, sure-fire way they can help themselves. BASE and other NGOs will continue to do good work, but these kids know that the strength of their united voice is their own greatest asset. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Sabita and SimaSabita (right) and Sima (left) sometimes seem like Siamese twins, living parallel lives, acting out the same story. Both sport the same boyish haircuts typical for young Nepali girls, and both invariably giggle between every sentence. Sima, 11, likes to eat oranges and study social studies, while Sabita, 10, likes mangoes and English. They both like to play volleyball. Even if you didn’t know their backgrounds, or perhaps even if you did, you might think they were sisters.
Sima lived out the classic child labor narrative. Following her father’s death, her mother, unable to support four children, sent Sima, then 9 years old, to the city with expectations that she could earn some money and attend school. These were false expectations, indeed, for Sima never visited a classroom. Instead, at the mercy of a house owner, Sima spent twelve to thirteen hours a day performing domestic labor. She cleaned the house, washed dishes, did laundry, cooked meals, tended to the kitchen garden and collected cow dung for use as fertilizer. Exhausted at night, attending school was an elusive dream.
At the same time, less than 25 kilometers away, a rich lawyer, who later denied the claim, was purchasing then 8 year-old Sabita. A law student tenant with a different story may or may not have played a role in the transaction. As a pawn in a web of shady transactions and incongruous stories, Sabita was also living out another classic child labor narrative. However, regardless of how she came to be in the lawyer’s home, Sabita’s story of what happened after arriving was clear:
“I used to clean the TV room, sitting room and kitchen and corridor and my room too. I used to wash uncle and auntie’s clothes. Sometimes there weren’t many dishes so I would do them alone. When there were guests, there were too many dishes so the aunt would wash with me. They used to scold me when I made a mistake. If I didn’t clean the dishes properly they’d say, ‘Look how dirty these dishes are, if you don’t clean properly we’ll get diseases!’ I stayed there for many days. One day, Uncle and Aunt went somewhere for a few days. Then I was just staying alone and I was so hungry.”
Enter BASE. In the spring of 2009, BASE conducted a series of child labor raid and rescue missions that, in conjunction with other anti-child labor initiatives, rescued more than 1,000 children in a two-year period. Sabita and Sima’s parallel lives converged as they were rescued and taken to a BASE rehabilitation center where they received initial care and support. Sabita was later taken back to her home, but with her father dead, mother run away with another man, and brother burdened with financial problems, she decided to return to BASE’s care. Both girls ultimately embraced their newfound freedom by demanding the rights of children as participants in the BASE-organized Nepal March for Education, part of the Global March Against Child Labor.
Sabita and Sima now live at the Children’s Peace Home, a charitable initiative providing care to underprivileged children, and ride a school bus everyday to the Hindu Vidyapeeth School, a prestigious boarding school. With their lives interwoven, they share many things—a penchant for studying, compassion for their friends and the joy of youth. Above all though, they share the same strength and resilience—and hopefully, because of BASE’s intervention, the same bright future. (Profile by Adrienne Hench 2010 Peace Fellow)
Sarbourati ChaudharySarbourati Chaudhary is terribly shy. Although she is fourteen, she would barely mumble her answers to the simplest questions, such as “what is your favorite food?” (apples, oranges, and mangoes) or “do you have any brothers or sisters?” (lots of brothers). When asked about her favorite thing to do for fun, she couldn’t supply any answer at all. (Fun? Incomprehensible.) But at least Sarbourati’s broken life is on the mend. She worked in a private home in a bustling metropolis of 64,000, Nepalgunj, for two years because her family was very poor. Although Sarbourati was sent away, her older and younger brothers stayed at home and attended school. Like many daughters of impoverished families across Nepal, Sarbourati was singled out to become the child laborer who left the family. Sarbourati said that she missed her family very much while she was working in Nepalgunj. When Child Friendly Village committee members told her that she could go and live at the Girls Rescue Hostel and attend the Aansubarma High School, she jumped at the chance to stop working, travel to a new place, and gain new knowledge. Sarbourati still misses her family, since they do not live near her school. But she wishes to study science and become a doctor, and she knows that a good education is the only way for her to achieve her goal. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Saru ChaudharySaru Chaudhary, now a timid girl of 16, prepared food and cleaned in a private home in Basgadi for three years. Her mother was sick when she was very small, and her father could not afford the necessary medicine. Saru would be scolded if she did not do her work well enough. As she divulged this, her eyes filled up with tears, and then she became very embarrassed. She is relieved to be back at home, living with her father, brother, and sister-in-law. Saru is now in class 7. She really likes to eat masu (meat), and her favorite activity is morning exercises. She is beautiful and courageous, but there is a stark difference between her demeanor and confidence and that of other children who were never sent away. Some of the children in the Santi Ekala Bala child club performed songs, made speeches, and generally acted as children do who are proud to show off their village to foreign visitors. Saru was very reserved and sorrowful. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Sangita ChaudharySangita Chaudhary’s mother died a few years ago because her family could not afford the proper medicine. Desperate to feed his five children, her father sent her away to Dungari to wash clothes, cut grasses, and clean houses for two years. Festivals were always the worst time of the year for Sangita, because the people that she worked for would continuously change their clothes and dirty the dishes with all of the feasts. Sangita would not be able to clean everything fast enough or well enough to suit her employers. Sangita’s two older brothers and her older sister also worked in Kathmandu. Now Sangita and her sister have returned to their home, but her brothers are 18 years old and they will not leave Kathmandu or re-enroll in school. Sangita is very happy to be back in school. She especially enjoys studying Nepali, and she wants to learn English as well. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Singh Bahini Singh Bahini (center) is a member of the “pressure group” in her Child Friendly Village. As the leader of her seven-member group, she is responsible for talking to parents who send their children into urban areas to work as laborers. She coordinates the efforts of BASE, other NGOs, and government officials who work to rescue child laborers. Singh tries her best to explain the value of education to uneducated parents. If adults are uneducated themselves, then they have a very hard time understanding why sending their daughters and sons to school will better ensure their futures than sending them into Nepalganj or Gorahi for a life that at least comes with an assurance of regular meals and clothing. Singh and the pressure group are usually able to convince the parents to bring their children back and put them into school if the CFV committee pays for the uniforms and school supplies. (Profile by Karie Cross 2010 Peace Fellow)
Dilli Chaudhary—BASE Founder and President On January of 1985, a 17-year old youth named Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary urged Tharu people in Dumrigaon to establish a development organization for their community. The organization began with 34 members, mostly consisting of young Tharu men from Dumrigaon and neighboring villages. Within a month of its inception, the Dumrigaon organization established a literacy class for uneducated local Tharu villagers. The members also planned to implement an income-generating program and to launch a political campaign against oppression from landlords in the politically and economically dominant higher castes.
Due to this initiative, Dumrigaon Organization 4H Club was formed. Later, this organization was persecuted by Nepali government officials who (1) refused to grant the organization an official charter on the pretext that its members where too political; (2) Refused to prosecute those landlords who were guilty of violence against Dumrigaon Organization 4H club members; and (3) Falsely accused the organization of planning terrorist activities against the Nepali government. Despite harassment by landlords, Tharu membership in the Dumrigaon organization rose steadily from 34 to 350 within three years.
This rise in membership was due to Dilli’s success in convincing Tharu that the Dumrigaon Organization would raise their social and economic status and stop oppression by high caste landlords.
The period from January to April 1990 was particularly desperate for Dilli and his organization. During this time, Dilli had negligible moral and financial support from any outside organization. He was under tremendous pressure from government officials and was almost destitute, having no income and receiving only food and shelter from his own, rather poor family. Yet Dilli never gave up, and he continued to work tirelessly. He walked from one village to the next, often late at night, exhorting the Tharu to continue their struggle to liberate themselves from bonded labor, theft of land, discrimination in schools and government offices, and other forms of oppression.
After the revolution and restoration of democracy in Nepal in April of 1990, government repression of Dilli and his organization decreased sharply. Support for Dilli's work increased, coming from a number of different sources. This post-resolution support initially came from the British Volunteer Services, who donated kerosene, notebooks, textbooks and pens for the literacy classes run by Dilli's organization, renamed Backward Society Education (BASE) by a group of British Volunteers, peace corps volunteers, and Nepalese people. BASE was legally registered in the District Administration Office, Dang, in the Nepali year of 2047.
BASE’s nine-year struggle against the system of bonded labour finally culminated in a large civil disobedience movement against bonded labour. The government of Nepal abolished the system on July 17, 2000, liberating more than 36,000 bonded labourers. In addition to achieving the abolition of the bonded labour system, BASE secured the passage of a minimum wage law in Nepal and negotiated the release of more than 500 bonded labourers prior to the passage of the July abolition law.
Churna Bahadur Chaudhary—BASE Executive DirectorMr. Churna Bahadur Chaudhary is a senior career officer with Backward Society Education (BASE). Mr. Chaudhary has worked in variety of positions at BASE. Before becoming Executive Director of BASE, he gained rich experience abroad in Bangladesh, serving as a District Program Coordinator for the UNDP’s Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF) Project from June 2007 to September 2008. He was then named District Program Advisor at the UNDP from November 2008 to September 2009. Previously, Mr. Chaudhary had worked for BASE as a community mobilizer and health councilor (1993- 1994), Education Program Coordinator (1995-1996), and Director (1997-2007).
Mr. Chaudhary earned a Masters in Rural Development Management from Khon Kaen University, Thailand, in 2004. He has received several international level trainings, such as Training on Rural Management at the Institute of Rural Management in India; Training on Community Mobilization in Bangladesh; and Organizing for Rights and Community Development and Management training in Nepal. He has also participated in several national and international symposiums on development related issues.
Sumitra’s StoryMy parents know the value of education. My father always encouraged me to go to school. In my village, my family was the first to send a daughter to school. Despite being very interested in studying, my cousin only made it through the third grade before being married at age 21. Next my elder sister was enrolled. She made it through the tenth grade before being married at age 19. That’s what girls did. They got married and took care of their new families.
Finally, it was my turn. While most girls didn’t want to go to school because the classes were full of boys and parents didn’t see the value of investing in education for girls, I was able to complete through the tenth grade. I wanted to continue studying, but my family wasn’t ready to invest. They didn’t want to spend money on me for higher education, because I was a girl. I cried a lot to my father and uncles. I begged them over and over to let me go to college. Finally, my father agreed, though he couldn’t convince my uncles.
First, I got an intermediate degree at a local college. Then I went to a university in the city of Nepalganj for my bachelor’s degree. During my second year, I was hired to participate in on-the-job training with BASE. Due to the hours and location of the office, I was no longer able to attend class. However, with my earnings, I could afford to purchase the books and course materials and study independently. For three years I did this, only going to the university campus to complete the exams. My friends said that I was doing really hard work. It was challenging, since I couldn’t attend the lectures, but I always preferred to study so I didn’t mind. At work I encouraged my colleagues to attend college though they felt it was impossible to manage their time between work and school. From 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM I worked at the office, and in the evenings I studied.
Once I got my bachelor’s degree I felt I had to leave BASE and go for a higher degree in Kathmandu. At that time Dilli Chaudhary, the President of BASE, encouraged me to apply for a scholarship though the Nepal Embassy, offered by the Rai Foundation. With BASE’s recommendation, I was awarded the scholarship and went to Delhi, India for my MBA. Now I am working for BASE as a Program Coordinator of the Youth Action Fund and simultaneously completing a second master’s degree in Public Administration.
Being Tharu
In my Village Development Committee (collection of about ten villages), I am the only Tharu girl who has earned a Master’s degree. In total there are only six people from my village who have received a Master’s. Of the other five boys, only two are Tharu.
Everyone says that the Tharu community is backward. I think we are not backward but that we are made backward by other castes. Many years ago, the Tharu used to produce crops, but they didn’t get proper wages or benefits for their labor. As a result, they didn’t have sufficient funds to send their children to school. Money is important for education. The Tharu had land, but they didn’t have the knowledge that they were required to legally register their land with the government. Other castes took advantage of their ignorance and seized ownership of the land. You see, Tharus lost their land due to their lack of education.
Tharu are very hard working people. You will never see a Tharu sitting idle. They just don’t earn enough, and they don’t know how to modernize their agricultural practices so they are stuck in poverty. As a result, the Tharu don’t have access to the government and lack political representation. I think we have to get to the top. Education is the way to get to there.
The Value of Education
My father suffered a lot of problems due to lack of education. When he was in the third grade, his father died. After that he had to manage all the family affairs: provide the income and do everything necessary for the survival of his mother and siblings. He was only 12 years old. His education ended at that point so that’s why he has always felt that he should encourage his own children to go to school.
Most Tharu girls get married at age 16, but I am still studying. Because of my achievements, many people use me as an example. They say, “Look at Sumitra, she is studying, maybe we can be like her.” I feel so proud.
Education is important for everybody but especially for Tharus. If we are educated, we can get good jobs in the government or NGO sector. Then we can make real change. But if we are not educated, how can we expect change?
I am not sure what I will do next. I would like to get a Master of Philosophy (doctorate) degree and work in finance. Whatever I do, I know that the power of education will help me to succeed. Hopefully, others will follow in my path. Even now my uncles realize the value of education! (Profile by Adrienne Henck 2010 Peace Fellow)
Peace Fellows
Adrienne Henck—2010 Fellow
Adrienne recently graduated from New York University with a Master’s degree in International Education. Her academic interests include human rights, non-formal education, development communications and the relationships between media, community and social change. In the fall of 2010, Adrienne began a Ph.D. at Penn State University in Educational Theory and Policy and Comparative and International Education. Read Adrienne’s blog.
Karie Cross—2010 Fellow
Karie is working on a Masters of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, with a specialization in International Development. Before moving to the Washington, DC area, she studied English and political science at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where she graduated with honors. In the past, Karie has volunteered for political campaigns, interned in Governor Mike Beebe's communications office, and served as a teaching assistant at the University of Maryland. Her research interests include gender equity, development ethics, and sustainable development. Read Karie’s blog.
Kan Yan—2009 Fellow
In 2006, Kan graduated with a BA in Plan II from the University of Texas at Austin. During this time, Kan conducted research on the education of Turkish students in Berlin, interned for the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former-Yugoslavia, interned for the Texas Speaker of the House on state education, and worked part-time for an anti-private prison campaign. Upon graduation, he undertook a year of exploring, teaching, traveling, and learning languages, then enrolled in Harvard Law School where he pursued a joint-degree student with the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Read Kan’s blog.
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