HELP FOR WOMEN IN DISTRESS

This project, established by Dolkar Lhamo, 'Help for Women in Distress' aims to help and support Mothers who, through being sexually assaulted, have borne children, or who have been abandoned by their husbands.

Location: Tibet and rural Asian areas

Activities

To provide lone parents and any children they may have had, with a place to stay, facilities for their education according to their individual abilities, needs and wishes in order to give the parents and children the possibility of an independent future.

Background

Many women who have been sexually assaulted experience deep trauma for many years, if not all their lives. If they have a child as a result of the experience, they often find it very difficult to relate to it. In such a situation, women find it difficult to know who to turn to for help. They need someone who understands their problems as well as the need to be able to become independent and more secure. Some of these women start life with a husband and a child, but soon they are left alone, as the partner all of a sudden leaves and very often, men do not support their one-time partners or their children from that union.

Particularly in Asia, once you have a child, even if you are young or a teenager, if you wish to study, it is almost impossible to gain any further education as the school will not accept you as a pupil. In Tibet, as most of these girls are from poor families, such an abused girl is usually sent away as a servant to another family to work for their food and clothing. These girls are often mistreated and beaten.

In the rural regions in Tibet and around Asia, there are no clinics, doctors or hospitals and no trained midwives. Girls are often too scared to tell anyone that they are pregnant and often either the Mother or the baby, or even sometimes both, die when giving birth. Although their Mothers and sisters try to do their best to help, they do not have the knowledge of how to do so.

The Need

Tibetan women are particularly shy and women's health issues and family planning are highly taboo. There is very limited knowledge about contraception and this results in a number of unplanned and unwanted pregancies.

If the pregnancy is the result of an assault, the resulting feelings of self-loathing can prevent women from finding help from extended family. If unable to work to support her child, the absence of any State aid means that the Mother is likely to become destitute.

Costs

The costs to support a single parent and her child and pay for the education of both Mother and child is estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,000 RMB (Yuan ¥) per month. At the current exchange rate (£1: 11.21 RMB/ ¥) this would be approximately £386 per month.

Support of a single parent & her child:
	Yuan ¥ per month	Yuan ¥ per annum	£ per month	£ per annum
Food & Accommodation	250	3,000	22.30	268
Clothes/transport/misc.	85	1,020	7.60	91
Education	4,000	48,000	356.80	4,281
TOTAL	¥4,335	¥52,020	£333.50	£4,640

 

Establishing the project, Monitoring and Evaluation

Candidates for support will be found all over the ROKPA project area, as ROKPA fieldworkers travel, visiting the projects. Each candidates needs will be met on an individual basis.

Monitoring will be done during the annual visit to the area by ROKPA fieldworkers.

 

Help For Women In Distress is a ROKPA project

ROKPA UK is part of ROKPA Trust, reg. charity in England & Wales (1059293) and in Scotland (SCO38628)