A Truly Inspirational Day for Me
April 8th 2014 was day of celebration for all Nepali people as it was the day where the Nepali national cricket team was being honored for their great performance during the international T-20 cricket tournament held in Bangladesh this past March. Nepali is traditionally not a well known team, but in this tournament they had some great performances and won against Hong Kong and Afghanistan. Being a proud Nepali, I was excited to participate in that program and it was a very happy moment when I got to meet these National heroes who brought us together and made us proud.
Meeting the Captain of the Nepali Cricket Team 🙂
Even though I was very excited to meet the cricket stars like Mr. Khadka, my biggest inspiration came from meeting another person who had nothing to do with cricket. That very same day I got to meet Ms. Anuradha Koirala who is a true Nepali hero known for fighting against human trafficking in Nepal and beyond. She was awarded as CNN Hero for the year 2010 for this noble cause. I was not only excited to meet her, but also scared to meet such a powerful personality. As soon as I talked with her, all my nervousness faded. She was so humble and a very kind-hearted person.
I felt so honored to meet and speak with Anuradha Didi
Ms. Koirala is called Didi or Diju (elder sister) by the many girls and women she has helped to rescue from domestic violence and human trafficking through the organization she started called called Maiti Nepal. She is happy that they think of her as their own sister and can share their sorrows with her. She guides them away from their terrible situation and makes them aware about the heinous crimes committed against them. She also teaches girls and their families about the tricks used by traffickers in the villages. She runs many awareness programs in villages across Nepal and many rescued women join in organizing these awareness campaigns. She is truly an amazing mentor who has been able to empower those rescued women and is helping them to return to a normal life.
Winning the CNN Hero of the Year award in 2010
Being a mentor (Didi) of Rukmini Foundation, I learned a lot from listening to her and I was very inspired by her. The one thing she said that I remember the most is when she said, “if you really want to help girls then first you must able to think of them as your own sister, and think what would you do to help them. Only then you will feel their sorrow and then you will feel the strength of love that comes out to protect them.” These words of inspiration really struck me, and I am trying very hard to follow this advice when I work with the girls foundation.
I feel lucky to be able to teach and learn with my Rukmini Bahinis
After hearing her powerful words, I am confident that I can help at least a few of the Rukmini scholars get more motivated for education. I feel doing that will help to fight against trafficking. Those girls in rural areas who are economically disadvantaged and uneducated are the biggest targets of traffickers. These girls have a beautiful dream of earning a living and helping their families, but sadly many of them end up in a terrible situation. Knowing what Anuradha Didi has been doing and knowing how much education makes a positive difference, I have become even more motivated than before to become a better mentor for girls in Nepal.
The Didi programs I have been a part of are a great way to get the girls excited about learning and helps to bring the students (Bahinis) and the mentors (Didis) closer together.
The girls supported by Rukmini foundation are also the ones who come from economically poorer families, and could be the victims of traffickers who take advantage of those situations. If they are not provided with education and empowerment to fight for their own survival they could end up like the many girls and women who are being helped by Maiti Nepal.
As Anuradha Didi said, “awareness and motivation are vital tools to stop such trafficking.” She hopes that she will be able to make society free of human trafficking. I am so honored to have met such an inspirational figure, and I am also proud to be working towards a cause which will help girls that could be targets for traffickers defend themselves through the power of education. I am also looking forward to our next Didi event and being able to share the story with my Bahinis about how I met some Nepali heroes and was inspired by them. I hope they will be inspired also.
Thank you,
Prakriti Nepal
Didi, Rukmini Foundation
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