Radhika Bandhari

Radhika Bandhari

Thirteen-year-old Radhika, born in Dolakha, Deurali, has a mother, father, an older brother, a younger brother and two younger sisters. Her older brother goes to school but their financial condition is weak, so in spite of her wish to study, her father did not send her to school. The condition was such that in case anyone got sick in the house, then the money for treatment had to be borrowed. That is why they sent Radhika to Kathmandu with a neighbor ‘daju’ (a term used for an elder brother) from the same village, to work. Although she was not willing to leave her village her father forced her to go.

When she arrived in Kathmandu she was taken to the carpet factory but was sent back as being too small. After keeping her for eight days in a room she was taken to a hotel and left there. Radhika said that she didn’t want to stay at the hotel but the ‘bhauju’ (sister-in-law) promised to come and take her later and went away. She was given 200R per month. She did all the work at the hotel: washing dishes, fetching water etc. Sometimes she used to get sick but they gave her various pills without consulting the doctor. She had to work even when sick. At such times Radhika used to cry and wanted to run away but she had to stay out of compulsion. It would be late at night by the time she washed the dishes, did ‘leep pot’ ( smeared smooth mud over the floor) and kept things in their place and went to bed.

After about four months ‘bhauju’ came to take her and straight away took her to a carpet factory in Lagankhel where they began to teach the work to her. While learning to work they only gave her food and didn’t give her money. After learning to weave carpets for three months, they began to give her 600R plus food. She found the work at the factory lighter than the work at the hotel. But the continuous work was difficult. She had to work from 7 in the morning to 9 in the evening. Her fingers began to ache. One day the Sir from the Center came and told her she could study, play with friends if she went to the Center. He asked her if she wanted to go and with the hope that she could study she agreed and was admitted to the Center.

Here she could study, she had enough to eat and chiefly she could sleep when she wanted to. In the factory they weren’t allowed to sleep when they wished, eat what they wished and due to lack of water they couldn’t bathe when they wished. Remembering all these things Radhika is contented here. She wants to study up to class 7-8. After studying she wants do some work like knitting sweaters etc. She wants to stay at the Center as long as they keep her. She is interested in dancing and playing with friends. She plans to go home and return after ‘Dashain’. After she finishes learning she wants to return to her village and do farming.