Printable version from NI Global Issues for Learners of English:
The Runaway: Nepal
Kumar's Story
Kumar's father was a poor farmer who borrowed money from a money-lender. He could not pay back the money, so the money-lender took away their land. Kumar's father went to India to look for work. Kumar's mother worked in other people's fields and earned very little money.
Kumar was eight years old. He had to stay at home and take care of his younger brothers and sisters. One day, he ran away from home and walked 30 kilometres to a small town.
This is Kumar's story:
I ran away from home
When I left home, my only idea was to escape. I got a job in a hotel. I had to get water and wash the dishes. The water was icy cold. Sometimes I had to go to the forest and collect firewood. I was not paid, I was just given two meals a day. At night, I slept on the tables after the customers left. I got bad sores on my hands and became sick, but sick or well, I had to work.
After a year, I left and walked to the next town. I worked as a porter there, and lived on the streets. The older boys used to bully us and steal from us.
SORES: painful areas on the skin, which are often infected.
PORTER: a person whose job is carrying things.
BULLY (v): to hurt people who are weak.
I was promised a job in Kathmandu
One day, a man told me that he could help me to get a job in Kathmandu [Nepal's capital city]. The man said that I would be trained to make carpets. He said that I could go to school, and that I would be given good food. After I finished my training, I would be able to earn a lot of money.
I saved for six months to pay for the bus fare to Kathmandu. But the man was a cheat. He took me to a big factory that was full of children, mostly girls. I was only ten years old, but I was not the youngest child.
CHEAT (n): a person who is not honest, especially about money.
The carpet factory was terrible
It was like a prison, we were locked inside. We worked from 5 a.m. until midnight making carpets and we slept among the machines. We were not paid anything. Many of the children had bad pains in their fingers because of the work. Some of us talked about why we had come to the factory. We had all been promised a better life but, of course, we had all been told lies.
We had only poor quality rice or lentils to eat, twice a day. The only time we could stop work was when we were eating. Supervisors checked that we didn't fall asleep during working hours. If we fought or if we broke our scissors or needles, we were beaten. There was some bullying in the factory, but it wasn't as bad as on the street. But the young girls were often sexually abused by the older boys.
After six months, I was exhausted. I had pains in my hands, in my stomach and in my chest. One day, I saw a half-broken window in the toilet, so I escaped and ran away.
LENTILS: small brown, orange or green seeds that are cooked for food in many parts of the world.
SEXUALLY ABUSE (v): to force someone to have sex when they don't want to.
I lived on the street
After that, I lived on the street. Other young children showed me where you could collect rags and where you could sell them. It was better than the factory because it was possible to have some fun.
The worst thing about living on the street was that nobody treated you well. Everybody, including adults - and even the police - acted like thieves and cheats. The police often arrested us for no reason, and they beat us or tortured us. They used special sticks, and sometimes they tied us up with ropes before they beat us.
RAGS: small torn pieces of cloth or clothing.
I became a thief
Some of the older boys were pickpockets and thieves. They ordered me to steal valuable metals from the outsides of buildings. If I refused, they would beat me.
At first I was very innocent, but then I thought, "The police arrest me and beat me, even if I don't steal. It makes no difference if I steal or not. It's better to be beaten for stealing than for doing nothing." So I started stealing things too. One time, I was caught and I went to jail for six months. It was tough: there was more bullying and sexual abuse.
A PICKPOCKET is someone who steals things from people's pockets or bags.
SEXUAL ABUSE (n): being forced to have sex when you don't want to.
I had a lucky accident
When I came out, I lived on the street again. I was the youngest kid in a group of children who were becoming serious thieves. Some of the kids would fight with security guards who tried to catch them and, one day, my head was injured.
My friends took me to a health clinic that was run by "Child Workers in Nepal". There, for the first time, I found adults who cared about me and shared things with me. I stayed in their night shelter and I became involved in the organisation's activities.
That happened when I was 11 years old. If it wasn't for that accident, I would probably be a big thief by now.
CHILD WORKERS IN NEPAL: an organisaion to help children who work.
NIGHT SHELTER: a place where the children could sleep.
Kumar's future plans
Kumar is now 16 years old. He is very good at painting; more and more people admire his talent. He plans to be a painter and also to work as a street educator, so that he can help other working children. He has made contact with his family again, too.
TALENT: a special skill.
Kumar was interviewed by Anthony Swift.The original version of this article entitled "Kumar's Story" appeared in the July 1997 issue of the New Internationalist.
Copyright 1997, 1998: the New Internationalist
Photo: Anthony Swift
Last Modified: 7 May 1999