23 Oct Their words, their story: Usha Tamang
Usha Tamang
Nawalpur
I come from Sindhupalchowk. There are 2 brothers, 1 sister-in-law and my father in my family. My mother had passed away when I was 5 years old. We have financial issues because my dad is an alcoholic and we are in debt. So, my sister has gone abroad to earn money.
I was 19 years old when the earthquake destroyed our home, all the grains and we were bound to live in a temporary tin cottage. It is still very difficult during rain and storm to live like that. When I first came to Danfe for the training, I had absolutely no idea about stitching and tailoring. I happened to know about this training through a local village resource person. As I had left my school very early while I was studying in class 5 due to family issues, I wanted to get enrolled in this training but my family was concerned about the cases of human trafficking that is very common in our village. Later when my family got convinced and I got selected, I joined Danfe.
At first, it was a very weird experience as I didn’t have any friends and felt bad for my sister who was alone at home and she had to do all the household works. Previously, I had very less confidence while talking but drama class while during the training which has helped me a lot to overcome the awkwardness. Now, I feel happy that I can make my own clothes and want to give continuity to the skill that I have learned. Danfe has definitely helped me remove the darkness and take the steps towards learning. I am committed to keep up with the learning and become self-dependent. I have the confidence to face difficult situations and I also feel grateful towards the contribution of Danfe and its genuine efforts.
Compiled by Aaditi Khanal.