Safety net for vulnerable girls offers hope in Karnali

In Surkhet district, a special municipal program is providing a crucial safety net for vulnerable girls, offering them hope for a brighter future. Sangita Bayak, a fifth-grader, and her two younger sisters are among those benefiting from the initiative, which helps cover their educational expenses.

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I used to wonder how I would raise them and pay for their education. The municipality’s special programme for girls has brought us enormous relief.

Their aunt, Pushpa Bayak, who is raising the orphaned sisters, expressed immense relief. "The municipality’s special programme for girls has brought us enormous relief," she said. The program involves the local government depositing funds into fixed-term bank accounts for each eligible girl. These funds are inaccessible until the girls turn 20, contingent on them staying in school and not marrying before the legal age.

This initiative is part of broader efforts across Nepal’s Karnali Province to safeguard girls facing severe social and economic challenges. In Dailekh district, 14-year-old Mina BK, an eighth-grader, is also part of the program. Her guardian, Durga, shared the hope the program provides: "But school expenses keep increasing. This programme gives us hope." Mina dreams of becoming a teacher.

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I have raised her since she was a child, and I want her to continue studying. But school expenses keep increasing. This programme gives us hope.

According to Kham Bahadur Thapa, head of the Economic and Social Development Section at Narayan Municipality, the program targets girls facing multiple vulnerabilities, including orphans, abandoned children, and those whose parents have disabilities or are incarcerated. It also prioritizes girls affected by disasters, those with disabilities, and those from marginalized communities. "The programme has proven highly effective in protecting vulnerable school-age girls. It gives them a pathway to higher education while also serving as an effective measure against child marriage," Thapa stated.

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We have selected 33 girls in the first phase and deposited money into their accounts. The programme has proven highly effective in protecting vulnerable school-age girls. It gives them a pathway to higher education while also serving as an effective measure against child marriage.