When Kamala Chaudhary got married, she had completed the 10th year of school. Lots of girls from Rampur in Nepal where Kamala comes from don’t go to school at all.
However, after her wedding Kamala had to give up on her plans for education because her husband didn’t want her to go to school anymore. He made all the decisions about his wife’s life.
Freed from dependency …
Kamala’s husband hit her and abused her, especially when he was drunk. Kamala couldn’t defend herself because she was financially dependent on her husband. A vocational training programme organised by SA4D and the Dalit Welfare Organization opened new horizons for her.
… thanks to start-up funding and vocational training
Kamala used start-up funding of around CHF 130 to open a snack shop. She sells sajan chaat, a local speciality. And as Kamala explained, it’s paying off. She knows that because she learnt how to systematically record income and expenditure in the vocational classes.
During the training, Kamala also realised that she has rights as a woman and as a wife. Since then, she is more confident with her husband. He has understood that Kamala earns her own money now and that she is no longer dependent on him. His behaviour has changed.