Stop Child Brides in Nepal

Followers of this project and readers of our updates about it are well aware that Bina Basnet started something unique and wonderful when she founded Orchid Garden. It's a project full of good deeds that has helped hundreds of children. That's all good of course, but as a donor myself to this project I was elated to read that Bina has been recognized by the Management Association of Nepal for her skills as a manager. It's always heartwarming to read how young, at-risk youth have been helped by Orchid Garden, we all get a case of warn-fuzzies about that. As a donor though, it's also great to know that good management is in place to use donations wisely and to administer the program well. The recognition of Bina by the Management Association of Nepal demonstrates that this isn't only a warm-fuzzy, feel good project to support; it's well run and donations are used wisely. I like knowing that, I hope you do as well. 

While this project is intended primarily to provide school uniforms to girls, it's a lot more than that. I have had a struggle with how to write this and be delicate. Let's start with the fact that girls are unwanted in Nepal. A girl represents a huge future liability in the form of dowry, a practice that is technically illegal, but thriving none-the-less. The parents of a girl will have to pay, in cash, in property or some other gifts to the family of her husband when she one day marries. Girls who leave school early face a lot of pressure to marry. But young girls are often neglected family members. The family doesn't want to spend money on food or clothing, nor education for their daughter. There's saying in Nepal that educating your daughter is like watering your neighbors garden. The consensus is that a young girl needs only to know about cooking, cleaning and caring for her husbands parents and many boys are reluctant to marry an educate girl as they see that as a source of trouble. 

My wife, who is Nepali, has related to me what it was like for her growing up. She got the leftovers at meal time and often there wasn't enough. She was dirty most of the time and once a week she'd bathe with her friend, in the open at a cold-water tap where they'd have contests to see who had the most lice. She had but one pair of underwear for the week. The female readers of this may appreciate the problems associated with that, and since I promised to be delicate, I won't give details. As they say, google it. 

Older girls often are not provided with bras and as they develop that becomes a source of humiliation. Typically they take to wearing several undershirts in an effort to mask their development and avoid the teasing and taunting that comes with that. Teasing about such matters in Nepali culture is a more serious issue than in ours. Girls have left school at that age rather than suffer the teasing as it's a humilating and shameful experience for them.

Even older girls, face larger problems still as their menstration begins. Many schools do not even have toilets so they have to hide in a bush or behind a tree, or rock to change pads. Pads in Nepal as we think of them do not exist. A pad is simply some old clothing torn and sometimes, but not always, sewn together. That requies careful cleaning, which many do not know how to do or they are too shy and ashamed to be seen cleaning so often they get a only a cursory washing before reuse. Many schools will not allow a girl in the classroom at this time, which further encourages them to just quit, stay home and wait for their parents to arrange a marriage. 

This program attempts to address these issues by providing a uniform, which is a financial block to keeping daughters in school and providing everything that is supposed to be under that uniform such as a bra, if needed and several, not just one, pair of panties as well as pads and instruction in care and cleaning. Girls suffer from various infections and skin disorders due to dirty underwear and improperly cleaned pads. We are changing that. So, don't think this just about the uniform, while that is certainly an important part of this project, what goes under the uniform is equally important in the lives of young girls. Help us to help them grow up healthy, grow up understanding their bodies and what is needed for good health. Help delay the age of marriage and keep girls in school where they belong.