Tina* (35) grew up as the eldest daughter of a financially disadvantaged family in Kanchanpur. In impoverished communities like this, being an eldest daughter is not merely an order of birth; it is a mindset and a responsibility to these women and girls. As the eldest daughter, she never got the opportunity to attend school. As she remained illiterate, her parents needed to marry her off when she was a minor as an economic choice. Finding her a husband meant having fewer mouths to feed.
She barely knew her husband. He worked in India and had not really bonded with him. After marriage, she remained childless and was meanly labeled as “barren” by her husband, in-laws, and her community. Having been reduced to a mere baby-making machine, Tina fell into a deep mental distress. She used up the little savings she had to seek medical treatment for her perceived infertility, later successfully giving birth to two sons.
For a while, she was happy because of “fulfilling” her role as a woman and a wife, but it did not last long. Her husband had an alcohol problem and reached a stage where he was unable to work. Now, Tina needed to step up for their children. Frustrated, countless fights ensued between the couple. At times, he will disappear without saying anything and will come back to torment her and say that he has married someone else.
Now fed up, Tina searched for job opportunities. First locally, but since she was illiterate, there was not much opportunity in Nepal. Desperate for a livelihood, she shared her problems with a relative in the village—her brother-in-law—and requested his help in finding work in India. Convinced that she was going to take the opportunity, she entrusted her in-laws to care for her two children while she went to India.
The thing is, Tina had never been to India before, nor does she speak Hindi. All she had was her willpower, trust, and hope for a better life. When she arrived, the person who picked her up was not someone she had ever met before. At that moment, she panicked.
Our staff noticed her distraught demeanor and intercepted her. When her brother-in-law was contacted, he immediately disconnected the call. This raised an alarm about the potential risk she was in. When her family was informed, her brother intervened and requested that she be stopped. As a result, she was reunited with her family before any harm could occur. The person who accompanied her was referred to the police for further investigation and search.
After a thorough explanation about the risks she could be in, Tina and her brother are grateful that our team intercepted them. It is a difficult fact to grasp that someone you call your family could outrightly deceive and lure you into potentially perilous situations. Tina is still swallowing this hard pill. Although still persistent in finding a job, she vowed to be more careful the next time.
*Name changed for privacy.
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