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Background:
Her husband was an ex - chairperson of Gadhi VDC, Surkhet and was living a peaceful life with his family until the armed conflict broke out in the country. For the first few years of the conflict, his village remained largely unaffected. As the intensity of conflict grew, survival in the village became increasingly difficult because of the compulsion meet demands set by the insurgents in terms of forced donations and persistent harassment. Failing to give donation usually entailed being subjected corporal punishment by the insurgents. Her husband as an ex-chair person of VDC, often became victim of these activities until some two years back when he could bear it no longer and as such had to flee to Birendranagar realizing a serious threat on his life. His misfortune did not even stop there. His family was continuously harassed, and physically abused. One day some 150 members from the insurgent group surrounded Shahi's entire house and captured remaining members, forcefully taking them as hostages. As they were making them walk, Mamata's entire family somehow managed to escape from there and reach Birendranagar at around midnight of the same day. But in the meantime her entire property -including cash, jewelry and cookery utensils were robbed by the insurgents. Because of the circumstances, it was not possible for her to retrieve whatever remaining possessions were left at her house. Her cattle remained in their shed for five days without getting water and fodder. She somehow managed to sell her cattle in a dirt-cheap price and that was all the cash she had in the name of her property. Her family, comprises of five members, including her husband, a college going daughter; and a school going son. And her mother also lives with them. Mamata Shahi when she came to Birendranagar she was almost empty-handed and faced a uphill task of not only overcoming the hand - to - mouth problem but also schooling of two teen kids. RUPP and Mamata Realizing the need to address the plights of Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs), Rural Urban Partnership Programme, in its second phase, decided to work on IDP issue and launched its support package of livelihood for IDPs in 4 municipalities including Birendranagar. RUPP section of Birendranagar Municipality, taking the support package of livelihood for IDPs to TLO level, organized a series of meetings with TLOs executives to orient them on IDPs issue in all the twelve wards. TLOs were entrusted with the responsibility of providing credit support to IDPs for their livelihoods. Rukmini Regmi, chairperson of Itram TLO, when she came to know about difficulties that Mamta and her family was going through, was touched by her predicaments and advised Ms. Shahi to get some credits for her livelihood for RUPP. Ms. Shahi was the kind of person for whom interventions under IDPs are designed. After the completion of some processes, she was selected for support subsequent to which she went through a mandatory training of enterprise management and other mandatory process, she was disbursed a sum of Rs. 15,000 as credit support. After getting credit support, she purchased 3 goats for Rs 3,500 and with the remaining amount she has been running a retail business on a wooden makeshift shop. She says she earns enough for providing subsistence for her five family members. She is also meeting the expenses of study of her children. So far her repayments have been satisfactory after having paid three installments of her credit. In the mean time her daughter has also been provided with sewing and cutting training of three months duration organized by the Programme. Showing an interest on entrepreneurship, she has requested for additional three months advanced training and a machine so that she can start self-earning by starting a tailoring business. Mamata Shahi says the support received from the Programme has proven to be a crucial one especially in such a difficult situation. It has enabled them to secure subsistence and pay for the schooling of the children. She further adds that such a support should be provided massively on low interest rates. |
Mamata Shahi (real name withheld) has been living in Itram tole, ward no - 7 of Birendranagar Municipality with her family members since last two years when she along with her entire family were forced to flee Gadhi VDC, her original residence, in a rather a tragic manner.