Rokpa UK Newsletter Spring 2006
Women in Nepal
Parmilla Nepali’s life changed overnight when her husband abandoned her and their four children. She lost her marriage, home and tailoring business and, left with nothing, had to live on the streets of Kathmandu, begging.
In the short-term, the Rokpa Soup Kitchen helped out with hot food twice daily and made sure they had warm clothes, but it was unclear how they would all live once the soup kitchen closed.
When the Rokpa’s Women’s Workshop learnt of Parmilla Nepali’s situation, they well understood what she was going through. All ten women in the Workshop have known great hardship themselves. A woman in this society who is left by her husband is often shunned and she and her children become outcasts with no support. Following training and a lot of hard work, however, the Rokpa women have dignity and independence making and selling fair-trade crafts.
Their solution for Parmilla was to give her the means to support herself independently. Padma, who is in charge of the Rokpa Women’s Workshop put together the components of a new Tailoring Shop for her to use and Parmilla was amazed when she saw the sewing machine, table, fabric and all the other tools needed to get back on her feet. It only cost £250 to help this family.
Rokpa is taking her 3 girls to school (the boy is still a baby) and life has improved a lot for Parmilla, Anita, Sunita, Kalpana and Ram.
STOP PRESS
Exhausted and ill, Ambika rests with her two children Krishna and Rasmila at the Rokpa Children’s Home. Married at 10 and then abandoned by her husband, she and the two children were living rough with a group of others. Now, found by Rokpa, her children will be cared for in the home and she will get the medical care she needs and plenty of TLC.
Urgent op needed for this little boy whose malformed ribs are impairing his breathing. His mother can't even afford his food, let alone the operation which will cost £800
Donate by phone +44 (0) 13873 73232 ext 3
ROKPA UK Overseas Projects
Kagyu Samye Ling, Eskdalemuir, Langholm, Dumfriesshire DG13 0QL
Telephone: 013873 73232 Ext: 3
Fax: 013873 73223
email: charity@RokpaUK.org
ROKPA Trust Reg. Charity No: 1059293
