In a remote region of Nepal, a marginalised ethnic group known as the Musahars experience widespread exclusion and discrimination. Musahars, which directly translates to ‘rat eater’ are a sub caste of the Dalit caste which were historically labelled as the 'untouchables’. Young Musahar girls bear the brunt of this inequality. For these girls, early marriage is often a survival strategy, despite being legally prohibited. Economic burdens, decades of oppression, and societal norms intertwine, coercing many girls into marriages as early as 14 or 15 years old. Before Street Child’s intervention, 100% of the female population who Street Child were targeting were married with children by age 15. This blog reflects on a recent interview with Usha Limbu, Inclusion Officer at Street Child, who shed light on how Street Child’s pioneering ‘Marginalised No More’ programme helped to break the cycle of early marriages in this community.
Usha described the challenges faced by Street Child when they approached the community. The Musahar community initially met Street Child's efforts with scepticism and resistance. As a community living in remote areas, they were understandably sceptical of outsiders. However, Street Child combined patience, empathy, and local collaboration to ensure any intervention was aligned and led by the community’s wants and needs. By engaging with community-based organisations with deep contextual knowledge, Street Child built trust, forming a strong foundation of co-operation.
Usha emphasised the intensive groundwork, which spanned 18 months of research and consultations. These efforts were vital in understanding the multifaceted barriers that Musahar girls and their families faced. The result was a unique, tailored approach which stood in stark contrast to the common 'one-size-fits-all' approach followed by many NGOs. Street Child knew that equipping women and girls with basic numeracy and literacy skills can have transformative effects. The team believed that the catalytic power of learning combined with empowerment, resources, and meaningful opportunities would have life-changing outcomes.
For this reason, Street Child's project revolved around providing Musahar girls with essential literacy and numeracy skills. Armed with this foundational education, the girls were presented with two pathways: continuing into formal education or embarking on entrepreneurship to create their own livelihoods. Beyond academics, the programme instilled life skills and protection strategies, informing the girls on the prevalence and risks of gender-based violence and early marriages. Through this, the girls nurtured their own sense of empowerment paving the way for them to become active decision-makers within their communities.
In 2020, when COVID-19 hit Nepal and lockdowns were enforced, Street Child pivoted to ensure that, despite restrictions, young Musahar girls remained protected. Street Child provided materials informing girls about emergency services, including phone hotlines they could access if they found themselves in dangerous situations, such as forced marriage. Usha told Street Child:
These efforts proved successful when a Musahar girl recognised the danger of a forced marriage during the lockdown, something she learned through Street Child. She was able to identify the problem and knew how to respond safely. Through the hotline she informed authorities anonymously. They were able to act swiftly and prevent the marriage from happening. One of the main intended outcomes of Street Child’s work was for women and girls to be able to recognise when they are at risk of gender-based violence. This girl’s story proves how vital this training was in transforming girls’ lives and the opportunities they have. By the end of this programme, Street Child had actively prevented 33 forced marriages.
Despite this success, there is more work ahead. As the 'Marginalised No More' project concluded in March 2021, Street Child has shifted its focus to assisting 400 married women from the Musahar community. With recent research completed and new projects in the pipeline, Street Child is actively seeking funding to continue dismantling barriers and fostering a brighter future for the Musahar community and support is needed now more than ever. Donations can make a difference in providing sustainable programmes and empowering these young girls to become agents of change within their communities.