Dalit Women Right Forum (DWRF) NEPAL

Dhangadhi, Estd 2064

Current Status of Kailali Sibir Basti, Gauriganga, Municipality, Word No.03 A Model Village

  October 1, 2024

The Gauriganga Municipality is in the Kailali District of Sudurpashchim Province and facing various socio-economic challenges, particularly among the Dalit community residing in the Kalika Sibir Basti at ward number 3. This community is marginalized and deprived from resources, opportunities, and services provided by the local government offices. The economic situation is worsening each year due to lack of agricultural farming, livestock rearing, seasonal and off seasonal vegetable farming and it was caused due to extreme poor condition of the residing communities. Most of the community people are landless, they don’t have employment opportunities, no farming and livestock practices for livelihoods options but male members are migrating to India for seasonal employment/wage labor. And their source of income to survive is seasonal wage labor inside and outside the country.

In addition, the community lacks access to education, health and sanitation facilities and other opportunities that need to survive at their own community, so youth are compelled to migrate India for searching livelihood options/prospects. The poverty incidence among the Dalit population in the area is above the national average (see table-1 below) that indicates the dire economic condition of the community. Dalits are facing discrimination and exclusion in various aspects of life, including education, employment, and access to other basic services from the government. In addition, harmful and mal-practices such as caste-based discrimination, child marriage, and gender-based violence persist, rooted in cultural beliefs and traditions that resulted the community further marginalization.

Current Situation : The community of Kalika Shibir in Gauriganga Municipality Ward No. 3 has undergone a remarkable transformation. Once plagued by economic challenges and a lack of basic infrastructure and services, the village has now emerged as a model of social empowerment. Through collective efforts and project support, the community have slightly improved their economic condition, primarily by engaging in seasonal vegetable production, goat farming, brick business and able to establish small kitchen gardens in their backyards. These activities have allowed families to minimize their financial expenses and able to consume vegetable on daily needs.

Community members, especially women and young girls, now feel more empowered and secure. Previously, the community faced high rates of gender-based violence (GBV) and lacked the confidence to speak out about their issues. With increased in awareness raising program i.e Chhalfal Chautari members were able to understand their basic rights and entitlements, along with knowledge of legal provisions. The community now advocates for justice and equality, in addressing GBV and other social issues.

In terms of infrastructure, the project has made significant progress as well. Where there was a lack of sanitation, water and toilet facilities in the community now each house has their own toilet facilities and find more easier to use. Specially women and young girls feel more safer while using their own toilets which has supported in reducing the risks of physical and animal attacks particularly at night.

The availability of personal toilets has provided privacy, comfort, and dignity, making it easier for women and girls to maintain hygiene and sanitation. This improvement has also empowered women and girls, fostering a sense of safety and confidence within the community .

Caption from Community:

In this community, there were only three concrete toilets and ten temporary ones. Due to the severe shortage of proper sanitation facilities, people had no choice but to defecate in the forest or along the riverbanks. This exposed them from dangerous risks such as snake bites, bites from poisonous insects, and the spread of communicable diseases too. The situation was further worsened by widespread pollution, making the environment unbearable to live in, shared by community member, Santoli Devi Kami age 50 years. Santoli Devi Kami resident of Sibir Basti lives with her family members. It’s been a year’s her husband has passed away; it was really tough for her to manage the children responsibility and meet the daily wants and needs. Being a single woman, she lacks the supporting hand with no option to earn money she used to work in daily wages lobar. She mentioned her economic condition is very poor where she can’t afford the toilet expenses in the past year. She reflected over the situation; due to the lack of proper toilets facilities our physical and overall well-being was in risk. Children of young age used to suffer frequently from communicable disease each month we have to visit doctor which has increase our economic burden too. Santoli shared Open defecation had led to unhygienic conditions, creating a hazardous environment that endangered life and the local ecosystem too. We have requested stakeholders and LG to support the community however we neither receive any support from them. The community’s unawareness of the importance of sanitation and hygiene has exacerbated the situation, with waste and contaminating the area too. Access to proper toilets is not just a matter of living undignified life but a critical aspect of public health and environmental protection.

With the support of DanChurch Aid and the Dalit Women Right Forum Nepal, implemented an “AVASAR PROJECT. After the project intervention a remarkable change in the life of community at household and individual level is noticed. Over the past year, community has changed their mindset and become hopeful towards the project initiative and action. She shared “One night, I had a severe bout of diarrhea and it was raining heavily with a cloudy sky. I thought I could manage on my own and I went in the forest. Meantime, I noticed some unusual sound of animals as soon as I hear the sound closer and louder, I ran away towards my settlement. I had no option; I just use plastic bag and throwed my stool outside the window”. Now, I am happy to use toilet and feel more easier and safer to use.

 Saraswati Sunar, the president of the group also expressed, “We no longer need to go to the forest or riverside for toilet and we can easily use our own toilets even during menstruation and night time.” This support has provided a great relief specially for the younger girls and women in the community.  

Project has created a significant achievement in the life of community, through the support of project and community contribution in total 42 toilets at households’ level were constructed. In the meantime, project also provide awareness raising program targeting specially for the younger children and senior citizen to encourage them for developing the habit of using toilets and washing their hands before and after each use, following the seven steps of handwashing technique. This focus on personal hygiene has not only improved individual health but has also contributed to keeping the entire community clean and orderly. As a result, promote the healthy lifestyle by reducing the risk of communicable disease in the community.

With the availability of proper sanitation facilities, it has reduced the spread of diseases and eliminated the need for open defecation in forests or along riverbanks. Now the community members no longer have to walk into dangerous areas, removing the fear of snake bites and stings from venomous insects. The environment has become cleaner, and the overall hygiene of the settlement has greatly improved.

“Bio Sand Filters: Transforming Health and Wellness in Communities”

Water scarcity is an urgent issue that requires immediate and comprehensive action. It poses significant threats to various facets of life, including food security, public health, economic stability, and health risk. In the context of Kalika Shibir, the community lack the basic facilities including wash, hygiene, social issue and many more. The community is equipped with only 11 public taps to serve among the 58 households, creating a critical shortage of accessible drinking water. This limited infrastructure forces residents to rely on these few taps, resulting in long wait times for water collection and insufficient supplies for basic needs, such as drinking, cleaning and washing clothes. Parwati Thapa age of 51, is a permanent residence of Gauriganga Municipality, ward no 3 Shivnagar. She has been living with her husband and 4 children, as a part of income source the family is engage in daily wages and hardly earns NPR. 15000 per month. Her husband is currently working as gate keeper in Community Forest. In an earlier day, due to the poor economic condition the family lacks the water tap services and have to use the river water for daily needs. Parwati shared “it used to be very challenging to wait in line to fetch water. Sometimes, the lines were so long that conflicts would break out within the community. She recalled one particular day when she had to wait for a longer period, and when she returned home, her husband became suspicious of where she had been and subjected her to violence “.

In 2021, family debt loan and install water pump, at the initial stage family found the hand pump more accessible saving their time. These taps provide a consistent and reliable source of water for both personal use and gardening, allowing families to grow vegetables. After the use of water services family started to suffer from multiple of diseases such as stomach pain, diarrhoea and kidney stone. The family started visiting doctor on monthly basis this has increased their financial burden and created more hardship in the life of family. In 2022, with the support of the Dalit Women’s Right Forum Nepal (DWRF) and Dan Church Aid (DCA) Bio sand filter installation was install. Bio-sand filters has provided a sustainable solution for purifying water at the household level. The community, previously reliant on polluted river water, now has a reliable source of safe drinking water. With the filtration system in place, the risk of consuming waterborne diseases has significantly decreased, leading to healthier families.

Parwarti, who is often responsible for fetching water, now have more time for other productive activities, including gardening activities and family care. The reduction in water collection-related disputes and violence has created a safer and more harmonious community environment. The introduction of bio-sand filters has had a profound impact in her life by improving access to clean water, enhancing health, meeting daily needs, and promoting better hygiene practices. These filters have not only improved the quality of life for community members but also contributed to long-term social and economic benefits too.

Behavioral and Social Change
The availability of clean drinking water brought about noticeable changes in the community’s habits and behaviours. Personal hygiene improved, clothes were washed more frequently, and villagers had access to water for bathing and cleaning. The women, in particular, noted the increased ease of performing household chores and the reduction in time spent fetching water.

Socially, there was a growing awareness of the importance of clean water. The community began to understand the direct link between water quality and health, leading to more responsible water use practices and greater attention to hygiene and cleanliness.

Ishara feels more Confident and Empowered through her Socio-economic transformation

Ishara a permanent resident resides in Sibir Basti of Gauriganga Municipality. She is one of the active members of the Model village. Her current age status is 39-year-old, Ishara lives in a joint family with her husband and mother-in-law. she has 2 sons and 1 daughter. As a part of occupation her family was completely dependent upon the India Remittance / income. The family has very poor economic background and it’s really hard to fulfil the financial expenses of members.

Talking about her husband she shared he used to work in India as labor and earn money however during the Covid-19 pandemic he lost his job. After the lost of his job the family faces more hardship to run their family. At the same time family loose the source of income and have go run through a financial hardship. To run the day-to-day family expense, she lends some money from the people which created more hardship in their life.

After taking the affiliation with the project she started to participate and attend the multiples of training and discussion in the project. She has taken training like Enterprise support, Business plan, goat shed management and leadership training which enhanced her skills and capacity.

Moreover, Ishara has also participated in the enterprise training which has motivated and open an area to explore her idea. One day her relative shared their experience of working in Brick Industry and profit they had earned; this strives her mind and scope to expand her knowledge and understanding on it. Her prior experience in business plan training provided a way forward to take the risk and start her own business. After analyzing brick industry, she sold her 17 goats for a price of Rs178000 and lent NPR 2 lakh and bought a block industry. The demand for blocks for housing increased, she then hired 4 workers and now she is leading her own business and entrepreneurship She feels financial empowered and able to influence the social norms that women are not only the receivable there are also the contributor in the family to support them by creating a transformation change in their life .She is now managing the business operations as well as engage in social change by educating community and motivating them towards economic empowerment .