Widowhood in Nepal

In a small rented room on the outskirts of Lekhnath, Kaski, lives Mina Devi (name changed for privacy), a young widow whose life reflects both hardship and remarkable courage. Only 26 years old, she rises before dawn and works late into the night to ensure her four children are fed, safe and learning.

Her journey has been marked by poverty, discrimination and loss, yet it is also a story of resilience, of a mother who refuses to surrender hope.

A Journey Through Darkness

Born in Nepal’s southern plains, Mina grew up in a landless, low-income household where hunger and exclusion were part of daily life. Married at just 15, she moved to Pokhara seeking opportunity but instead found herself trapped in domestic violence and social rejection.

When her husband’s alcoholism took his life, Mina was left widowed, accused, and abandoned by both families. With four small children, one living with hearing loss she faced the world entirely alone.

Today, she works as a house helper, earning Rs. 7,000 a month. Half goes to rent, and the rest must cover food, education and medical needs. Each day is a struggle, but her love for her children keeps her going. 

BEF Steps In: Restoring Hope

During a field visit in June 2025, our team met Mina. Exhausted but determined, she said softly: “Please help my children study. That’s all I want.”

In July 2025, she and her children joined the Bahini Educare Family Program, where your support began to change their lives. Since then, BEF has provided:

• Education assistance – tuition, uniforms, school materials and exam fees
• Nutritional aid – monthly rice, grains, pulses, oil and salt
• Health & hygiene care – sanitary pads, soaps, awareness sessions and health insurance
• Emotional and legal protection – safe mother circles, counselling and legal aid

Your Gift Changes Lives; Because of you:

• Four children now have food, education, and care.
• A widowed mother is no longer invisible or alone.
• A family once living on the edge of despair now stands with dignity and hope.

“I was alone and desperate. Then BEF came, and for the first time, I feel cared for.” - Mina Devi (name changed for privacy)

With Deepest Gratitude

On behalf of Mina, her children, and all of us at the Bahini Educare Foundation, thank you for standing beside widowed and abandoned mothers in Nepal.

Your compassion restores dignity where it was once denied and turns survival into hope.

Together, we are rewriting stories—from silence and suffering to safety, learning, and light.

It’s simple. It’s simply BEF.

With gratitude,
Surendra, Raymond & the Entire BEF Team
Bahini Educare Foundation

[PS: All names have been changed for Privacy reasons]