By Erica Stone | President
Schools in Nepal have been closed since March. But that hasn’t stopped Dr. Aruna Uprety from keeping the STOP Girl Trafficking (SGT) girls safe.
Aruna and her team have, year by year, girl by girl, built up an amazing grassroots network of SGT alumnae (aka the alums). Some alums work as Friday teachers to tutor and mentor younger girls and, importantly, are SGT’s eyes and ears in the villages, watching out to make sure the girls are safe and intervene when needed. Now, during the Covid lockdown, they are also SGT’s arms and legs because they are still allowed to move around within their communities. They are not just keeping the girls safe from being trafficked or abused, but also keeping them Covid-safe and encouraging them to keep learning and keep moving forward. Friday teachers were mobilized to share Covid prevention information in their communities through visits, calls, and a booklet. Groups of alums even sewed and distributed several thousand face masks.
The pandemic has taken a devastating toll, particularly in the vulnerable SGT communities. Most parents work as day laborers, but there is no work now — and that means no food for their children. Since the lockdown began, the Friday teachers have visited the homes of over 1,000 SGT girls to educate families about Covid, check on how the girls and their families are doing, and report back. They found 22 families of SGT girls in especially dire circumstances and got them food and some financial support to stave off disaster.
During home visits, the Friday and support teachers also make sure the SGT girls have collected textbooks from their schools to use and encourage them to study and express themselves through drawing, writing, or whatever keeps them connected to learning. Some, like Shrijana in Makwanpur, have even been convening small (socially distanced) groups of girls and tutoring them since the schools remain closed.
Another alum, Bipana, told us:
"When the lockdown started in Nepal, I formed a women’s group in my community with 25 women. The group was formed to uplift women and to create social awareness. The group holds meetings frequently to discuss their problems and support one another during this pandemic. I have provided information related to Covid and its safety measures in the group. The group was able to receive agricultural seeds from our ward, and now is making a plan for goat farming. I still have to do a lot for my community during this pandemic"
And this inspiring young woman was once a girl at risk of dropping out of school and falling victim to traffickers. SGT alumnae never cease to inspire us with their initiative and dedication to helping their communities.
Your kindness has allowed Aruna and SGT to keep girls safe and provided the grounding so that, after they graduate, alums can become leaders in their communities and advocates for younger girls, especially in these challenging times. This is transformative work you are supporting.
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By Erica Stone | President
By Erica Stone | President
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