Hearty Appeal to all of our well-wishers & contributors

Dear all our respected friends,

Raksha Nepal (RN) a humanitarian organization established in 2004 that has been working for the sexually exploited girls, women and their children since its then. Raksha Nepal’s main target groups are those women and young girls working in the so-called informal entertainment sectors (massage parlors, dance bars and cabin restaurants). Since its establishment RN has rehabilitated and reintegrated more than 1800 girls and women. Similarly, the RN has given special attention in making the victims of sexual violence economically self reliant since its establishment.

On the other side, RN is continuously doing research, advocacy, rescue, rehabilitation, psycho-counseling, legal support, income generating training and literacy classes to prevent sexual violence. RN is very conscious that a woman can remain without food for a whole day, however, a child cannot remain hungry or in difficulty for more than 2 seconds. That is why it has been providing a temporary child shelter service.   Since its establishment in 2009, RN has supported more than 300 children to date.

To give transit shelter to the children from those women who work in the so-called informal entertainment sectors, RN had to rent a house in Lainchaur, Kathmandu. There were more than 35 children in 2012. Since the house was in the heart of the city, the rent was quite high. All the children were attending boarding school located close to the transit home. Since a big portion of the money was spent on the rented house, it was trying to find a cheaper place for the child shelter.

The days of 25^th April and 12^th May 2015, was very horrifying to the Nepalese people, the 7.9 and 6.9, Richter scale earthquakes respectively took the lives of more than 8000 people enduring the double number wounded. About 700,000 houses got completely destroyed throughout the country. The remaining 5 days of April, the whole month of May, and 5 days of June were perilous due to the aftershocks that followed. However, there are little numbers of aftershocks still felt in Kathmandu.

Numerous houses in Kathmandu got cracked and completely damaged in the city. Among those houses, the Raksha Nepal rented house also got some cracks which made us unsafe to keep the children inside the house. The engineers from Nepal Engineers Association came and inspected the building thoroughly and gave us a report that the house is not safe to keep the children. On the other hand, a big 7 story house close to Raksha Shelter is a major threat to RN children, due to the fact that the aftershocks are very frequent since last earthquake.

After the big earthquakes of 2015 we kept our 30 children under the tarpaulin in the Lalitpur district for 2 weeks in the open space land. It was very difficult for the children there and not so secure; however, we did not have other options. The children were sleeping under the tarpaulin tent. Later, several donors provided with tents, food and mats for the children, who had to live outside in the open place for almost 2 months.

We cannot shift in other rented house or buy a new house in Kathmandu at the present situation because most of the houses in Kathmandu are cracked, damaged and has become weak. Moreover, Kathmandu, Nepal falls on a high risk place for earthquake and the house built for commercial purposes will certainly be weaker and this problem which occurred at present may reoccur again and again. Hence, RN wants to buy a safe land and construct the infrastructures for longer term solution. If the house could be constructed ourselves using an earthquake resistance system, then we have to plan to make house with basic facilities fit for the sexually assaulted children.

Now, we are in Lainchour, Kathmandu where 1 Ropani or 508.74 sq. meters of land cost NPRs 56,003,000 (543,719 USD) which is not affordable for us. At present it is not within your means to buy land and build a new house in Kathmandu. So, we have looked for a safe and less expensive place which is 4 km east of Kathmandu valley. The total area of the land is 4 Ropanis or 2034.96 =2035 square meters, which also lies is in a very beautiful and serene environment. There is abundant water supply and the provision of electricity is also good in the place. Moreover, in a five minute walking distance from the land there is a good government funded secondary school.

In the first stage, the Raksha Nepal plans to support 25 children. In the second stage, 50 children would be supported and in the third stage, 100 children will be supported respectively in the Raksha House. One of the biggest problems of the sexually assaulted and women engaged in forced prostitution is the care of their children. There will be five blocks in the first phase. Office block (3 rooms), Dormitory block (including 4 toilets and 4 bath rooms) Kitchen /dining block (2 rooms), Computer/Library block (2 rooms including 1 sick room), House mother/Volunteer block (2 rooms including 2 toilets) and Guard house. The office block will be the administrative block which contains rooms for office and chairperson.

 

In the future, there will also be separate blocks for boys and girls and we could also build separate block for women above 16 years. Similarly, the Raksha home will have green play ground, security house, fencing boundary wall and an entrance gate. According to the current legal provision, keeping the 10 years and above boys and girls together in a same building has to be avoided, so separate buildings are needed. Likewise, minor age groups are not allowed to mix together with the adult women in a same building. Hence, for long term and sustainability, we need separate blocks, buildings for women, boys and girls. Both boys and girls could have been inflicted in to sexual violence. Hence, it is a responsibility for our organization to provide shelter for both boys and girls.

Initially, Office block (3 rooms) 884 sq ft, Dormitory block (including 4 toilets and 4 bath rooms) 1165 sq ft, Kitchen /dining block (2 rooms) 908 sq ft, Computer/Library block (2 rooms including 1 sick room) 788 sq ft, House mother/Volunteer block (2 rooms including 2 toilets) 560 sq ft, Guard house 378 sq ft, Boundary wall, Metal gate, Water tank, Septic tank and Garden will be constructed.

 

 

Total sq ft of the blocks will be as follows:

 

Office Block (3 rooms) 884 sq ft.

Dormitory Block (including 4 toilets and 4 bath rooms) 1165 sq ft

Kitchen /Dining Block (2 rooms) 908 sq ft.

Computer/Library Block (2 rooms including 1 sick room) 788 sq ft

House mother/Volunteer Block (2 rooms including 2 toilets) 560 sq ft

Guard house 378 sq ft

 

Up to when we need Aid?

Assistance may be needed any time soon however, when we will have our own land and house then we could save the monthly rent which we are spending now. So, we may not need any aid for a house rent.

At present, our children are going in private schools and the fee is higher there but after five years we will have our own community school where the children will get free education. So, in this case, financial assistance may not be required for children's education. Similarly, we have longer term plan to engage the rescued women in vegetables farming, live stock farming including other income generating activities and make them economically stable. After this, we have a provision to separate and keep certain percent of our income in the fund of our organization. So, after ten years of time we may not need more financial assistance in terms of basic necessities.

We have set principles and adopted a strategy to make our organization stable and strong physically and economically within the next ten years time due to which we will not always give burden to our well-wishers for supporting us as we can sustain ourselves.

For the donors who support in purchasing land:

(i) If only a single person will bear all the necessary expenses to purchase land, the donor’s statue/idol will very respectfully erected in the compound of Raksha Nepal.

(ii) If a person assists Ten million rupees, then there will be a permanent scholarship fund in the name of the donor, where 100students will get scholarships each year.

(iii) In the name of a person or an organization who donates 5 million rupees, the person or organization’s name inside the compound of Raksha Nepal will be kept gloriously on an inscription stone in golden letters.

All these above persons or organizations will be the patrons of Raksha Nepal and will receive the certificate of guardianship from our organization.

Furthermore, their names will be made public on our organizational website and will also be appreciated their works through the newspapers. However, we would take consent from the donors before doing so.

My Dear Respected Friends,

We do not feel safe to keep our sexually assaulted children inside the cracked and damaged house. So, we are in need of land and a good house in our own ownership as soon as possible. Therefore, we would like to heartily praise and appeal to all our well-wishers to help us in building a good future for the sexually assaulted children.

Nepalese society do not want to listen to the issues of sex and the Nepal government's present policies that give protection to the criminals has made the situation of the victims of sexual violence more vulnerable and pitiful. So, we appeal all thenational and international well-wishers for the support on a humanitarian ground.

We promise to keep and highly admire your appreciable support and cooperation and also commit for making good use of your help. We are always open to your positive response, love, care and support. We also would like to make a request to support us in time of current circumstances and also would like to join our hands to help the victims from falling into more harmful conditions and untimely death. Thanks,

Sincerely,

Menuka Thapa

Chairperson

menuka31@gmail.com                     +977-98511-93201 (mobile)      

www.rakshanepal.org                     +977-1-4437552 (landline)  

info@rakshanepal.org

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