In the 2074 local election, Nepali Congress Party helped Sushila give candidacy as a member of ward in local election. In the beginning she thought that it could be difficult to win the election as she cannot spent money for election campaign. But everyone motivated her and gave support. So, she was elected finally. Afterwards, she has started to actively take part in development works of the area, take part in meetings focusing on social justice and she has also been strong representative of Dalit and woman community.
Sushila is a minority from Santhal community who is actively working in the community. When she came to Santhal village, Rangoli in 2064 after getting married, she used to live in her hut that was located in her landlord’s land. She finished Intermediate studies (IA) after her marriage. This worked with her determination.
Many Dalit children from her village would not attend school. She assumed that it might be because, one school at neighboring village Gaigada was 4 KM far and another one at Laxmipur village was 3 KM far. The children had to walk. So, the number of schools going children might have been less. One landlord had given 5 Kattha land to open a school and educate Santhal community children in the village. She went to many homes and convinced the parents so that they were ready to send their children to school. She would collect all of them on the ground and would teach them whatever she had known. SUS sewa came to the village at the same time. The staff saw her hard work and managed to give her some salary so that she could continue teaching the children.
She named it Baal Utprerana Kendra, and continued teaching. She used to collect children and teach them for some 2 hours in the morning in one of the corners of the village. She would repeat this again in another place of the village in the evening. Then she thought if she could make some effort in establishing a primary school in the village. She started to visit the District Education Office. SUS helped in her effort.
In 2065 the recognition for school was given in the land given by that landlord, this was also supported by SUS. The name of the school was Jaliya Prathamik Bidhyalaya. SUS would bear some expenses of her teaching. In later years the government also started to grant aid based on the number of students. Then she hired another teacher from that aid. After 6 years, the Teachers Service Commission started to select permanent teachers. She was not selected. Then, she started to manage the school with salaried staff and Sushila started to work in the community.
SUS had established a women’s group. Sushila was also an active member of the group. The group gives various trainings, like skill development training, awareness training, income generating skill training, skill development training, leadership training, awareness against caste-based discrimination and also awareness on Human Rights. These training sessions increased the confidence of Sushila. Then she made herself able to speak on behalf of her community.
SUS had established various saving groups in different tole. The number of saving groups had reached 20. In 2071 VS, SUS transformed such a saving group to make Charchit Mahila Krishi Sahakari Sanstha and registered also. Then, it also registered Pratibaddha Mahila Utthan Samaj (a CBO) so that women get motivation in doing various social works. Sushila worked in management of the cooperative from its initial days. This taught her to run the group in a good manner and she also developed leadership skills. She was a known face in her third year of working in the community.
In the 2074 local election, Nepali Congress Party helped Sushila give candidacy as a member of ward in local election. In the beginning she thought that it could be difficult to win the election as she cannot spent money for election campaign. But everyone motivated her and gave support. So, she was elected finally. Afterwards, she has started to actively take part in development works of the area, take part in meetings focusing on social justice and she has also been strong representative of Dalit and woman community.
Last February, the government started to collect the data of squatter households. In order to avoid a list of any household from her community, she actively collected the number of 133 squatter households and provided the data to the government. She called the Officers of Land Revenue Office and Municipality Office for a meeting and shared the problems of landless/squatters of her community.
Now, SUS has formed an advocacy group to distribute citizenship and land registration certification at the local level. Sushila has been supporting this also. Many people from my community neither have citizenship nor land registration certificate. Elderly people born in the same community too do not have their citizenship certificate. She called the attention of the municipality after collecting data of 256 people, from her 2 number ward area, who do not have citizenship. She has a conclusion; the state is discriminating to provide citizenship to those children whose parents have citizenship by-birth right.
SUS has not only helped in advocating rights of the community; it also has been supporting her in leadership and personality development. After her couple’s continuous hard work, they are able to buy 2 kattha land. Moreover, she has added 1 bigha of land for agricultural purposes. She has learned vegetable growing training from SUS and has been able to grow and sell vegetables and gain income also. She bought a scooter from the income of vegetable selling. She says, “Earlier I used to walk by foot or my husband would give me lift. But now, I can ride my scooter and go wherever I like in time.”
Discussion about this post