(Part 1/2) “My life changed when my brother got electrocuted and died. I was 10. Up until then, I was going to school. After his demise, my heart was not in school anymore. And the long-distance was always something to put the blame on. Mother and father could not bear such a loss. He was the eldest of the sons. They spend days worrying and lost in their thoughts. We became poorer.

I was married when I was 18 years old. After two years I had my first daughter. I had three daughters after that. After my third daughter, my husband left for India with another woman. My youngest daughter was only 9 months old. My hardships grew by ten-folds. As I was abandoned I did not know how would I be able to raise my children. They were small and I had no support. My husband’s family told me to leave. They untied my cow and chased it away. I knew I could not let all these sorrow touch my daughters. I build a small hut and started living on my own with the girls. I worked for the villagers. I cleaned the cow dung. I went to the forest to collect firewood and I sold it. And I fed the girls with the little money I made. My husband forgot about me. He did not send a letter with kind words nor did he call. Forget about money. At one point during the civil war, I even thought of joining the Maoists. They would come asking for food. They would feel sorry to see my plight. And one day out of desperation I requested them to take me too. but the girls in the party suggested otherwise as I had three little daughters to look after.” 

#BreakingTheSilence with Dignity Without Danger: Menstruation in Nepal