Maiti Nepal Fighting Girl Trafficking, an Interview with Flora Gurung
By Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik e.V.
An important interview with Mrs. Flora Gurung on tour in Germany with the girls of the association Maiti Nepal. Flora is also the director of the Teresa Academy, the school of Maiti Nepal. Maiti Nepal has been fighting against girl trafficking for more than two decades now. We thank her so much for her time. Prevention is the magic word to save as many women as possible from those criminals promising them work abroad and then forcing them into prostitution, and/or enslaving them. Education is the key to female empowerment. To know more about Maiti Nepal, please visit the following website: http://www.maitinepal.org/
To see the program of the KARAWANE, please visit the following link:
http://www.kinderkulturkarawane.de/2015/Maiti_Nepal/tourplan.htm
Milena Rampoldi: What is the main objective of the KARAWANE of Maiti Nepal in Germany?
Flora Gurung: Maiti Nepal’s main mission is to prevent human trafficking by reaching out to the people, particularly children and young women by raising awareness. Nepal being a country which is highly affected by trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable within Nepal, India, middle east and even in Europe. Therefore, to come to Germany and to let people know about the scenario of women status in Nepal and changing dimension of trafficking through Karawane is one of the important objective. Experience has proved that awareness or prevention activities in abroad can yield high results. It encourages people to play active role in preventing trafficking.
Secondary, it is a platform for the children to showcase their talent and also to know other cultures, style of living and to formulate joint plans of action to prevent trafficking.
MR: ProMosaik e.V. thinks that dancing is a form of resistance against all kind of violence against women. What do you think about the universal language of dance?
FG: Dance is a form of language that transcends not only culture but it expresses feelings, emotions and release anxiety and stress. Anybody can understand you through body movement; dancers are a storyteller who has an ability to share their stories with body language. Regardless of which language you speak where we are from, we can all find common ground through dance.
MR: Violence of all kind against women, from forced labour to rape and forced prostitution, is something all humanity should care of. How can Maiti Nepal be an example for other organisations?
FG: Since last 22 years Maiti Nepal has been working for the welfare of Women and girl child. It has been actively engaged in the protection, rescue and rehabilitation of survivors of trafficking by promoting their human rights in diversified avenues. Maiti Nepal is pioneer organization to run transit homes at boarders and have successfully rescued survivors from the point of vulnerability in such years.
FG: Even in the 20th century the condition of women and girl child in rural area is pathetic, the percentage of literacy among women is almost negligible. Women are often considered interior to men in various ethnic groups; Girls are denied opportunities for education and ultimately put them into risk of trafficking and exploitation.MR: Which are the main problems women have in Nepal before they decide to go abroad for work?
Poverty, lack o f education, lack of employment opportunity and gender discrimination is the biggest risk factor that makes victim vulnerable. Such group of girls and women are naïve and cannot take decision in their own and accept distant job offers.
MR: How can we prevent them from leaving their country?
FG: 1. Free education for the girls.
- Provision of income generating training and gainful training and employment opportunities to the vulnerable.
- Carried out awareness campaign and training on anti trafficking measures to the young girls, so that they can avoid being tricked and enticed by stranger who come to their village and attempt to lure them.
- Lobbying with Nepali Government to establish strong surveillance system within the borders to India and in the airports.
MR: How can education help women to get strong and to fight for their rights in Nepal?
FG: Education is the most important tool that offers inner and outer strength to a person. It brings desires and upliftment in the human mind and society. Educated women would listen to all, but always do what suits her best. It is impossible to fool an educated person for it would take reasoning and logic to her in the trap, as education makes us right thinker and good decision maker. Education helps to understand the existence rights for women and practices it. It not only makes women able to read and write but it makes them smart enough to learn how to live life and handle any kind of situations.
– See more at: http://www.promosaik.blogspot.de/2015/10/maiti-nepal-fighting-girl-trafficking.html#sthash.Lto1ZeGW.dpuf
