http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/nepali-woman-carrying-basket-royalty-free-image/117145013
It’s time for me to talk about my women. I am quite convinced that the women of Nepal are some of the toughest human beings on the planet. Not only are they constantly working, by doing all the cooking, cleaning, farming, and child-rearing, they also carry the weight of the entire family’s spiritual purity. This makes them incredibly strong. I see their thick hands, their calloused feet, their resilience in their eyes, and my God, it seems like they could move mountains. I am in absolute awe of these women. And that is why I am so distressed that these superwomen of humanity are too often made to endure subhuman, sometimes inhumane, treatment... in silence.
It is with these women, whose minds have been fractured by silence and trauma, that I work every day. I almost want to avoid learning their stories because I just cannot bear to think that behind those friendly smiles, sweet “namastes,” and hospitable natures, are stories of abuse, rape, torture, homelessness, and hunger. I am always shocked when I see pictures or videos of the state of some of these women when KOSHISH rescued them. It is almost impossible for me to believe that the same woman who was just laughing with me, warming me up with her shawl was, just a few months ago wounded, dirty, and psychotic, wandering the streets where she was often abused.
But KOSHISH is an amazing place, in that as much heartbreak as I feel, I feel twice as much inspiration and hope. As well as seeing amazing recoveries of clients at the Transit Home, I also get to work in the office with a group of powerful women and passionate men, who are making great strides in establishing mental health and women’s rights as prominent issues in Nepal. I feel incredibly honored, in the very brief time that I am here, to be a part of this organization, and play however small a part in this growing movement towards healing and justice.
