Three boys were rescued from Namatar of Makawanpur and India’s Raxaul with the combined efforts of CWIN, Hetauda; and Human Rights Makawanpur yesterday.

Santalal Rana, 15, and Tekendra Gharti, 13, of Garpa VDC of Salyan were rescued from Makawanpur whereas Bibek Baitha, 16, of Mahalapur of Rautahat. was rescued from a bag factory in Bangalore and brought to Raxaul of India. Rana and Gharti were working as domestic helpers at the house of Sanokanchhi Bal in Namatar.

The two cousins were employed as menial workers at Changunarayan Brick Kiln in Chapagaun of Lalitpur to pay off Rs 30,000 taken by Gharti’s father before they came to Namatar. The boys were rescued only after member of Child Conservation Committee, Namatar, Rajendra Thing, and local cooperative organisation’s Chairperson Rakshya Bartaula informed Human Rights and CWIN Makawanpur.

According to Tekendra Gharti, his father Bhakta Bahadur Gharti, forced him and his maternal uncle to work at the brick kiln. “After we joined the kiln, our father took Rs 30,000, but we decided to quit as it was very hard to lift the heavy load. Besides, they were not paid. They worked in the factory for two months and fled.

They came to Makawanpur with the help of a supporter. And later they joined Sanokanchhi’s house as domestic helpers, said the boys. “Preparations to hand them over to their parents in coordination with Salyan Child Welfare Committee are on,” said CWIN Child Helpline Hetauda Chief Jhabindra Gyawali.

Meanwhile, Gyawali said Bibek Baitha of Mahalapur of Rautahat was rescued from a bag factory in Bangalore and brought to Raxaul. Baitha, who was employed at a bag factory for the past four years, was rescued with the initiatives of Justice and Care, an Indian non-government organisation.

Published on: 19 May 2014 | The Himalayan Times