How a young Nepalese rescues a whole village
Rohini Khaa (22) comes from the village of Tetariya in southeastern Nepal. Today she studies economics and hopes to find a job in the social sector afterwards. In her home village, she has ensured the abolition of child marriages.
© Plan InternationalBoys treat boys with respect - and humble girls
There is a memory in which Rohini Khaa, 22, bursts into tears today when she talks about it. She was eight, a little girl from the village of Tetariya in southeastern Nepal, playing on the street with a friend when another boy joined. He looked at Rohini from top to bottom and said to her playmate, "What do you want with that, she does not even have sandals!" And her friend left Rohini and went away with the boy.
At that time Rohini was terribly hurt. Today her tears come out of indignation. "Never," she says, "would they have done that to a boy, never dragged on his poverty, boys treat boys with respect, and humble girls."
Rohini has come to the office of the children's aid organization "Plan International" in Nepal's capital Kathmandu. It was her first flight? Tetariya is 370 kilometers away ?, she is still dizzy, but she does not show it, especially when she talks about her work. Then she is crystal clear, and from the shocked girl of that time, nothing is felt. Her biography is an example of how much you can achieve in remote villages by educating your children about their rights.
Most children leave school after four years
About 9000 people live in Tetariya, most of them, like Rohini's parents, from their fields, they grow wheat, lentils, potatoes. Rohini is the youngest of six siblings, their four sisters left school after four years, "they had to make money," says Rohini. "Because they worked, my brother and I could go to school longer."
At age eleven, she joined the Child Club, an organization funded by Plan International with donations and sponsorship contributions. In games and workshops, the children learn to question what was previously taken for granted: that girls marry early, children work. Rohini learned that children's rights, when respected, improve life throughout the village. 200 children went to the club, Rohini stood out because she carried with her enthusiasm all.
Rohini and her village set standards throughout Nepal
Together they made street theater; explained to parents what they do to their daughters if they marry her too soon; did young parents get their baby registered in the birth register? because only in the future will it be possible to prove how old a bride really is.
"You have to be believable if you want to get other people involved," Rohini emphasizes, "and say what you feel." First she became treasurer of the club, later head, then head of all clubs in the region.
In the meantime all children in Tetariya go to school, all newborns are registered, and there are no child marriages any more. Tetariya is setting standards throughout Nepal, and Rohini and her club have been recognized by the Nepalese government in March 2016. For Rohini, that's no reason to let up: "You always have to be vigilant, otherwise old patterns will creep in again." An activist, Rohini says she is not. Dear, she calls herself a supporter? "one that helps children grow up".
Tip: You want to do something? With a sponsorship in Nepal, you can help to actively claim the rights of girls.
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