Advocacy Issues
ETSC Advocacy Strategy
ETSC Nepal is Community-based organization reliant on community empowerment through its not only the projects but its approach to present programs. Since the establishment of organization advocacy has been the key to empower and strengthen the individual and community groups for their resilient. Regardless of advocacy projects or component in it, ETSC has been making efforts to organize community groups themselves and to raise their concerns towards existed government systems. All organized groups and community leaders are sensitizing to seek provisional available service within the government line agency as well raise voice for people’s concerns in the areas of needs with related department of government.
Advocacy for COVID-19 Response
Thingan Dharapani of Bakaiya rural municipality (RM) is isolated village where same tribes people live largely. Possible Covid-19 has had spread when the sick old man died, and all villagers have taken part in funeral and later time rituals for dead. Most of the people were sick in the village. One of our SS Church pastor who is also a member ofward level disaster management committee, noticed the situation. With his consultation ETSC contacted Bakaiya RM, ward office, medical team and facilitate to reach out the place, local leaders and community people respond the situation and coordinate the service delivery.
Out of 20 patients sample 11 people resulted COVID-19 positive and get timely treatment. Rest of the people were having same symptoms were provided medicine to boost their health through local health post. One 60 years old Jit Maan Syantang (M) of Bakaiya 12 suffered by COVID and had oxygen saturation level less than 60. He immediately got ambulance after ETSC coordination with local health in charge and received medical service on time and recovered.
Advocacy for identification rights
Sangita Praja is a married woman with two sons living in Lampakha, Manahari. She married with Mr.8 years ago. It was underage marriage then she was 16 years old. By the time she gave birth of 2 sons. Though this marriage has no certificate the couple did not register their marriage and children’s birth too. And again, her husband married one woman again and quietly went to local registration office and got marriage certificate. Her husband started to live with newly married second wife and gave up take care his first wife and children. It was painful problem that Sangita started to face. She needed get her own marriage certificate and her sons birth certificate for their identity and for the claim rights and the provisions. Her husband motive was to ignore her and the children.Sangita case was came to know ETSC organized women group and the group raise the voice to the ward chairperson. After the ETSC mobilizers regular meeting visit, raising issues and seeking support from the local authority; ward Chairperson and local registration office secretary registered the sons birth certificate and marries certificate recently.
Community Group Rescued a Sold Woman
Phulmaya Bholan was a 18 years old married teens from Manahari. She was living with her husband and other family members. Husband is working as cleaner in truck. She has not been in good relationship with husband, time to time they used to quarrel each other and in the other side family economic condition was very poor. She was looking for way out for earnings. Days were passing, one day a neighbor Sunita Moktan came to her and started to inspire her for foreign job. Sunita told she could arrange a good job in a home in India for monthly Nrs. 350,000. Phulmaya felt good at this and an opportunity for improving her status, so she agreed for the plan to go to India for job. She was taken to India via Sunauli land boarder of Nepal. Later onher husband Ram Bahadur and her family members with other neighbors discovered that Phulmaya is away without any prior plan, consultation, and permission from family. Neither Sunita Moktan (broker) made any consult to family members and asks their permission for her to take in jobs in India, but while the Phulmaya was not in village. Members of community peer watch group(CPWG) organized by ETSC became active to find out the clue for this, because obviously this was the case that could be trafficking. CPWG members Sunita Adhikari and her fellow group member tried to search the cause of her missing and mobilize communities.
The local communities suspected and discovered that the local broker Sunita Moktan was doing such kind of activities, and this was the fourth case. Local communities approached to District Police Office, Makwanpur with their application to protect Phulmaya who is being trafficked. ETSC and network membersorganization of Makwanpur continuously labored for follow-up the case to help local communities, government, local agencies, district police and other justice provider stakeholder office. At last, with the one month of labor the accused person Sunita Moktan has brought back Phulmaya from Delhi. That time Sunita Moktan was living in the village, she brought her back through her contact in Delhi. After her arrival she has not declared her state of being in India openly. Her husband and family have welcomed her back to the family.