Kathmandu Women's Safe House: "Tessa Niwas"

Summary of Project:

In Kathmandu, Nepal, many married and some unmarried women are abused on a daily basis. Our safe house is the only refuge for these women, as most of their families turn them away. We provide a secure environment for these women and their children to escape their abuse, to recover, and to become self sufficient.

Total Funding Goal:

$7,500 USD

For one full year of house operations

How You Can Help:

Operating Expenses:

• $10 pays for the initial treatment of a woman who's been a victim of abuse
  
• $15 pays for books for a child to enroll in the Literacy Program at The Women's Foundation of Nepal
  
• $15 pays for a woman's enrollment in our training program
  
• $20 pays for the transportation of a woman or child, out of the abused situation and into our Safe House
  
• $75 pays for equipment and supplies used in our training programs
  



Sponsorships:

• $150 sponsors one child's education for one year (tuition, uniform, books)
  
• $450 sponsors one woman at the Safe House for one year (housing, food, clothing, medical)
  
• $634 sponsors one child at the Safe House for one year (housing, food, clothing, medical)
  

Why This Project Matters:

The Women's Foundation has already built a great program, but that program is facing a crisis of capacity. They cannot provide enough housing for the women and children that have come for seeking refuge and assistance in building a new life. We are adding the additional capacity needed to continue an already successful and multi-faceted program. This house quickly and inexpensively adds the capacity needed.

On the Right Path:

• Gyanu, a twenty seven year old, was born with a physical disability (i.e. dwarfism). This has presented many challenges throughout her life, such as limited opportunities to advance in her career and education. Her family, even though she is from a wealthier class, has not afforded Gyanu the proper care, or any care for that matter. She migrated to Kathmandu from her hometown in order to gain opportunities for employment, and to seek opportunities via organizations geared towards citizens with dwarfism. Unfortunately, this plan has not succeeded and these organizations (i.e. Dwarf non-governmental organizations) cannot simply supply her with basic demands, such as employment or housing. Therefore, the dwarf organizations of Nepal have referred her to the Safe House. Gyanu, seems to be in an improved situation in the Safe House, but she still faces many obstacles today and in the future.
• "Audrey", a sixteen year old, was born in the Nepali lower socioeconomic caste. Her family situation is plagued with poverty and she has been bombarded with many obstacles. Although she attended school as a child, until Class Eight, it was through a government funded school in her village. When she was fifteen years old, she was married and thereafter destined to a dire future. It is known that Nepal is a highly patriarchal country, and therefore the wife is considered subservient and lower than her husband. Due to this, while Audrey was pregnant, her husband left her for another woman.

  Audrey was now left with the only option of returning back to her father's home, which is looked down upon in Nepali culture. Now pregnant, and stigmatized, Audrey did not have many opportunities for a bright future. Within the year, during her pregnancy, she met another man, with whom she eventually married (at this time, she was still pregnant, so this all happened within a matter of nine months). Although this would seem like a positive, it unfortunately was another cause for disaster for dear Audrey. Her second husband was prone to excessive drinking, and therefore often physically abused her while she was pregnant. Due to this harsh abuse, she had a still birth.

  Resulting from all of this tragedy, Audrey's second husband and family shunned her. She has lost everything at this point, eventually equating to her insanity. Thankfully, due to the aid of the Safe House, she can obtain eight months of psychiatric treatment to help her situation improve. Now her spirits are uplifting and her situation seems to be slightly improving.

More Information About This Project:

In addition to offering a safe refuge for these women, we offer training programs to help them become self sufficent for their future. Some of our training programs include basic English language; computer skills; trek leadership; and organic gardening.

Where This Project Is Located:

This Project is located in Kathmandu, Nepal

Nepal Facts:
A recent "Foreign Policy" News Report, dated May 2008, has published a list of "The Worst Places to be a Woman". The female to male income ratio is 50:100, and the average literacy rate for females is 35%. The article goes on to say: "Marriage comes early in Nepal: Women born in the late 1970s married at a median age of 16. And motherhood is particularly dangerous. Nepal is the “deadliest place in the world to give birth outside Afghanistan and a clutch of countries in sub-Saharan Africa,” according to a 2006 report by the International Federation of the Red Cross. That’s because only about 1 in 5 births is attended by trained health personnel. But the government is taking steps to improve women’s lives: A quota system for women and minorities resulted in a third of the Constituent Assembly seats going to women in the April elections."