From Unwanted to Promoted

Devi was born in a small village of western Nepal. Her mother was one of seven daughters and got married at a young age to a man she barely knew. When her mother became pregnant with her, Devi's father and his family prayed every day for the baby to be a boy. The day she was born was the day her mother started facing extreme abuse from her father’s family. They were disappointed and angry at her for having a daughter. So much so, that her father decided to leave and disappeared in a foreign country for years.

Devi’s mother sacrificed everything she had in pursuit of raising her daughter. She worked as a laborer on other people’s farms, and would bring home a handful of rice and lentils. That is what they ate day after day, for weeks on end. One day, her father decided to return home from abroad. Devi thought being reunited would bring joy to her life. She thought that having a relationship with her father would make life easier. Little did she know that the same person she had built up in her mind would go on to become someone she feared and hated deeply.

One rainy night, Devi’s father, an alcoholic, sexually abused her. This abuse continued for months. If she refused, he would threaten to hurt her mom or baby brother. Devi felt helpless. She told her mother, but she was asked to keep silent because of the fear of what the community would think or say. Devi’s mother told her to consider her brother’s future and how it would be affected if she spoke out against her father.

Devi couldn’t bear living with her family and enduring this abuse, so she ran away from home. When she reached the India border, she was counseled and rescued by members of our border team. With their help, Devi chose to come to our Safe Home and after that, the Training Center.

While at the Training Center, she was able to continue her education, graduate from Social Leadership School and participate in cosmetology training. Devi is currently finishing her Bachelors in Business Studies. Her passion is helping daughters like her get the justice they deserve. This prompted her to become a border counselor. Recently, she was promoted to the position of assistant director at one of ODI's partner organizations.

"I am on a journey to grow as a leader so I can encourage more daughters like me to be a voice of change in this nation."