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Kathmandu Tuesday February 26, 2002 Falgun 14, 2058.
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Parbati’s story
Only a few ever get the opportunity to change
their lot. And only a handful of these make good on such opportunities. Who could have
imagined that a ragtag orphan like 15 year old Parbati Tiwari could be earning awards for
brilliant academic performance? Thanks to Nepal RUGMARK Foundation (NRF), and above all
her own determination and perseverance, Parbati is now pursuing her studies at Cooperative
Bungamati School in Lalitpur. If she keeps up her studies with the same zeal and continues
to receive help from NRF, her dream of one day becoming a doctor will not remain
farfetched. Born into grinding poverty, Parbati and her family were literally thrown out
onto the streets after her father died of cancer six years ago, leaving behind a huge
debt. Hungry and miserable, Parbati, who hails from Kavrepalanchowk district, went through
much toil and suffering before NRF stepped in as a Good Samaritan. Parbati is not the only
lucky one to come under NRF’s protective wings. Around 317 children of various ages
have found a home at the foundation, an international organisation fighting for child
rights. But not all make it to NRF or anything like it. So many other Parbatis toil and
sweat to make a precarious living. Even after so much drudgery and grit, daily essentials
are not easy to come by. In their search for livelihood, they end up doing any odd job for
a pittance. They are a highly vulnerable lot, easily exploited by the rich and the
powerful.
Unfortunately, such tales of suffering usually
go unheeded. Some NGOs and INGOs are making remarkable efforts at uplifting the
socio-economic status of poor and needy children. But there is so much more to be done.
Given the staggering magnitude of the problem, the progress made so far pales into
insignificance. Who else is there to turn to, then? The Ministry of Women, Children and
Social Welfare naturally needs to be brought into the picture. But ask it for any help,
and there unfolds the usual story of financial crunch or overload of work. If that is the
case, what is keeping the ministry from off-loading to other ministries and extending a
helping hand to those who are endeavouring to pull destitute children up from the quagmire
of misery? If it cannot even do that much, why not simply shut it down? As with other
ministries, this ministry is also bogged down in bureaucratic bungling and red tape.
Except for showing a presence at inaugural functions, establishing juvenile benches and
some other tit-bits, this ministry has contributed precious little to the welfare of women
or children. Nor are all the problems financial in nature. The officials concerned feel
that it is not getting proper attention from the government. No commitment, no clear
vision and lack of feasible programmes are other ills plaguing it. Those responsible
simply don’t seem to know how to go about running such a welfare ministry. And even
if some do know the methods, the pervasive culture of corruption frustrates their effort.
Political leaders, foreign diplomats and donors have repeatedly singled out corruption as
the chief culprit, be it in the body politic or in the development process. Ministers from
the ruling Nepali Congress have also joined in the chorus against corruption. Social
welfare is something almost synonymous with good governance, and not some lofty ideal to
be seen in isolation or bandied about at seminars and conferences. |
