Children's Stories: Maila |
| Children born poor in a village in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal, have very few options. For a child like Maila, whose parents are mentally ill as well, those options can dwindle to none. With his family unable to care for him, Maila was forced to leave home at an early age. He wound up at a cheap cafe in a Kathmandu alley, where he worked as a dish washer. Six months later, he left the job to work at a carpet factory. On December 16, 2004, as part of GoodWeave's regular monitoring process, a GoodWeave inspector found Maila and immediately removed him from the factory. He was brought to Hamro Ghar, a GoodWeave rehabilitation center, where rescued child workers are provided food, shelter an education. At the time Maila was brought to the center, he was completely illiterate—but that soon changed. After completing his education there, he opted for vocational training in carpentry at the Kumbheswor Technical School. He also continued his studies in night school, with all of his expenses provided for by GoodWeave. Today, Maila is fully grown and has a well-paying job as a skilled carpenter. His employer is full of praise for him, describing him as committed, honest and hard-working. He adds that Maila has keen interest in learning new skills and grasps things very quickly—with a great deal of potential to develop and earn more in future. |
