October 2024
Namaste! My name is Salita Devi Majhi, and I’m a 31-year-old woman from Purni Manaharwa, Ward No. 1, Gujara Municipality. I belong to an ultra-poor Dalit family, and we don’t own land to live on. I live with my husband, four children, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law. My husband works as a laborer, but since it’s hard to find work, our family often struggles to make ends meet. I also work as a seasonal laborer in the agricultural fields to help support my family.
Being from a low-caste and poor background, I’ve faced many difficulties since childhood, and I didn’t get a chance to receive an education. But as a mother, I dream of giving my children the education they deserve, so they don’t have to face the same hardships I’ve experienced.
One day, while working in the fields, I overheard a conversation about a program called WAWCAS. I was too tired at the time to pay attention, but later, Gagdev Majhi approached me and told me that an organization named Slisha was coming to help our community, and there would be a meeting on August 31, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Curious, I started asking my friends, and we were all ready to attend.
On the meeting day, 34 of us from the village gathered, and four representatives from Slisha came to introduce the WAWCAS program. At first, I was hesitant, thinking it might be another finance institute or cooperative, as we’ve heard so many negative stories about those. But I decided to attend the next Information Sharing Meeting (ISM) on September 2, 2024, to learn more.
At the second meeting, they explained everything clearly, from how members are selected to the various trainings such as, livestock training, the seven-day training, Issue Based Training (IBT) and Business trainings, child groups, and the work with LNGOs. I was so impressed! It completely changed my perspective of the program. I realized that this initiative was truly meant to help people like me.
It was a dream come true to be a part of something so impactful, and I felt deeply grateful to Slisha for bringing such a valuable program to our village. I cannot express how happy and hopeful I am now, knowing that there is real support for people like us.
Dear Readers,
Namaskar,
I am Deepak Shah, and having grown up in Slisha’s home, I feel like I am working in my own home. After completing three months of training in Kathmandu and working closely with senior LPLs, I am filled with happiness and gratitude.
I am currently writing the story of Salita Devi, capturing the ups and downs of her journey. I am confident that I will learn a great deal during this process, and I hope you will enjoy reading her story.
Warm regards,
Deepak Shah
LPL, Rautahat