Trapped in the poverty cycle

Growing up not having your father around is probably one of the most difficult situations in life. And not knowing where he is and what happened to him will haunt you. Rupa Giri, a 14-year-old girl from Nepal is dealing with this situation. Her entire life changed, once her father decided to go abroad for foreign employment. The area Rupa lives at is a rather underdeveloped region in the east of Nepal, depending on agricultural labour, leaving little perspective for improving the living standards.

Nepal is known as being one of the top sending countries for labour migration. Every day, thousands of workers go abroad, especially to Gulf countries or Malaysia. Rupa´s father Parlad Giri was one of them. He went to Malaysia in 2008, led by his hope for better work perspectives and a better life for his family. He left three daughters and his wife behind, who have relied ever since on remittances he has sent back.

However, in 2012 he disappeared and the family has not been able to find him. Dealing with the loss of their father and husband, the family is struggling now with their survival and how to afford an education for all three daughters. Besides that, the family took a loan of NRP 350,000 to cover all expenses for the father’s journey to Malaysia.

In order to support her family, Rupa and her two sisters work during their school holidays as domestic helpers in other families´ houses, while their mother Bedh Maya works on the farm. Facing these living conditions, it is very hard for Rupa to focus on her studies. Escaping this poverty cycle seems to be something she won´t be able to reach without help from outside – since the only way to improve the living standard is through education.

Rupa´s story is a scenario we can find all over Nepal. Around 1,500 Nepalese leave the country daily, hoping for a better future and new opportunities. Most commonly migrant workers are exploited, exposed to inhumane conditions, come back injured or in wooden boxes. The narratives of high-interest loans to finance migration, fraudulent contracts, false job positions in the destination country and tragic instances of sudden deaths are way too common.

We at CMIR believe that the world is one family, and it is time that we care for each other. Everybody deserves equal opportunities and if we are able to change the life of just one kid, it is worth an effort. Through our crowdfunding campaign we try to raise money to grant scholarships to children like Rupa, to prevent them from dropping out of school.

Thanks to the help we received from all over the world, Rupa is able to go to school regularly today, without having the pressure to go to work. Currently she is studying at Shree Sakhe Lower Secondary School, and is enrolled in class eight.

If you want to be part of our mission helping children like Rupa, we welcome any donation on our Crowdfunding Campaign.

Thank you!

#theworldis1family