The statistics are alarming , and even worse is the action or a complete lack thereof, taken by state institutions in ending the illegal practice of child labor in Nepal. Last year’s Peace Fellow to Nepal, Emily MacDonald, looked into the issue of a lack of prosecution for people who employ child workers , even though there are specific laws relating to the issue, and Nepal is a signatory to and has ratified international conventions pertaining to child labor and the rights of a child. My work with Society Welfare Action Nepal (SWAN) this summer will entail strengthening legal channels for the prosecution of employers of children, and creating a collaborative long term action plan in helping end the practice of child labor in Nepal. 

Apart from the scorching summer heat that I will be struggling with personally, advocating for the rights of child workers in western Terai region will not be an easy undertaking. SWAN operates out of Dang district, which has one of the highest numbers of bonded laborers in Nepal. The Kamaiya  practice (debt-bondage system, akin to slavery), which was rendered illegal in 2002 still rears its ugly head in the region. Without substantial support from the government when the bonded-laborers were set free, many families still resort to sending their children to work in order to gain extra income for their families. SWAN has been fighting this practice since it was founded in 1994, and I am extremely honored and look forward to working alongside dedicated people who have not only experienced the hardships on a personal level, but have dedicated their lives in fighting this social injustice. 

I will also be closely working with Richa Adhikari and Katerina Canyon, two extremely bright and committed Peace Fellows, who will be working with Backwards Society Education (BASE) and Concern for Children and Environment Nepal – CONCERN respectively on the  issue of ending child labor in Nepal. We will be creating a joint action plan that will be implemented by the three organizations simultaneously, which will focus on prosecuting employers and rescuing and rehabilitating child workers, while creating a long-term program to tackle the issue of child labor. 

I am really thankful to all my friends, family, and well wishers who have supported me in pursuing this endeavor. The Advocacy Project’s partnership with SWAN will hopefully change many lives for the better. I look forward to comments, suggestions, inquiries, criticisms, and hopefully continued support and encouragement as I carry out my work and document them here for the next 10 weeks. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you.  

My first attempt at editing and creating a video. My expectation-video during the AP training in Washington D.C. 

The statistics are alarming<\/a> , and even worse is the action or a complete lack thereof, taken by state institutions in ending the illegal practice of child labor in Nepal. Last year\u2019s Peace Fellow to Nepal, Emily MacDonald, looked into the issue of a lack of prosecution<\/a> for people who employ child workers , even though there are specific laws relating to the issue, and Nepal is a signatory to and has ratified international conventions pertaining to child labor and the rights of a child. My work with Society Welfare Action Nepal (SWAN)<\/a> this summer will entail strengthening legal channels for the prosecution of employers of children, and creating a collaborative long term action plan in helping end the practice of child labor in Nepal. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Apart from the scorching summer heat that I will be struggling with personally, advocating for the rights of child workers in western Terai region will not be an easy undertaking. SWAN operates out of Dang district, which has one of the highest numbers of bonded laborers in Nepal. The Kamaiya <\/i> practice (debt-bondage system, akin to slavery), which was rendered illegal in 2002 still rears its ugly head in the region. Without substantial support from the government when the bonded-laborers were set free, many families still resort to sending their children to work in order to gain extra income for their families. SWAN has been fighting this practice since it was founded in 1994, and I am extremely honored and look forward to working alongside dedicated people who have not only experienced the hardships on a personal level, but have dedicated their lives in fighting this social injustice<\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n