The Lutheran World Federation is conducting various livelihood programs by forming savings and cooperative under its SABAL II project through the implementing partner-Lutheran Community Welfare Society in Ramutol Naya Basti, Ward No. 6 of Kamal RM, Jhapa District. Rojina Bishwakarma, 32, has made significant contributions as a member of the group’s and cooperative’s steering committee. Rojina was elected as a dalit woman ward member in Kamal RM in the recently concluded local level election.
Rojina has a family of three including her husband and a 8-year-old son. They have a small plot of land and have been living on it for a long time. Rojina is a member of the dalit community. Because they are a marginalized community, they have very little access to the government services and facilities and are stigmatized in the community as “untouchables.” Rojina now has the responsibility of advocating for her community as an elected member of local government.
Despite having responsibility of her own family, Rojina is committed to become the voice of dalit community and take their voices in the decision-making level as well. She said, “I will take initiatives in the ward to get livelihood support programs for the vulnerable communities like ours. Women in my community have to face gender-based discrimination and caste-based discrimination. I want to represent their voice in my ward where they I am elected as a member.” Rojina is not only committed to become the voice of the females from her community also work for the development of the dalit community in her ward. She said that she will also initiate for development programs not only in her ward but also to the other wards where dalit people reside.
Asking upon her expectation from the various organizations, she said, “I got this confidence to stand for my community only because of Lutheran because they the women group meetings, their regular monitoring, conversations and discussions supported me in becoming confident to talk in front of other people. That is why I request the organizations to empower and capacitate the elected members like me in the local government so that they can put their views and represent their community in the place where decisions are made.”