PHURPU DOLMO GHALE GATLANG 5, RASUWA

“I am going to be a mother soon. This is my fourth child and I am waiting for it to see this beautiful world. I hope the world will be kind to my baby is getting what he/she desires in life. My world was not so good to me. When I was 10, it took away from me my mother. The villagers tell me it was tuberculosis. And because there were no buses to take her to Trisuli she did not get medicines and proper treatment.
I remember father brings with him an injection with liquid medicine. That would work for a while but it did not last long. Eventually, she passed away. After mother died, father brought us another mother who took care of us with whatever she had and whatever father gave her as ration. When I turned 19, I was given away against my will.

My husband would come and take me forcefully and I would run back to my house. I did not like him but my relatives gave me away and I had no other option than to live with him. With him, there was never peace. He would drink heavily and I suffered every day.

I was tired and one day I decided to leave him. I moved to this village and married another man. He had another wife and children. Recently, he had gone to see his first wife up in the hill and the next day I heard he had hanged himself. I have been crying ever since.

I am left with no one except for my children. And I am waiting for this new one to see this world. This world has given me a lot of tears but every day I pray that my newborn will see happiness. I have a lot of hope for my children. Today, I am only living because of this hope.”