The fall out from the Dashain holidays continues. We had anticipated problems arising for our girls when they returned home for their annual visit to their no-good families. Three have not returned, one of them getting married and another engaged. Today, the mother of a fourth girl turned up at the Kathmandu hostel were the mosaic girls stay, looking for money off her daughter Maya (name changed). Maya had gone home for Dashain with a lot of money in her pocket and now the greedy mother wanted more.
Maya's story began in April 2004 when we rescued her from an Indian circus in Kerala. Her family background was dreadful - no known father and a mother involved in the sex trade. After a great deal of thought we decided to take a risk and return her to her mother (at the time family reunifications being top priority) but we discovered soon afterwards that her mother had promptly sent her off into domestic service (slavery) in Kathmandu. So the field worker who had rescued her from the circus had to rescue her a second time, this time from a house in Kathmandu. Maya then came to live at our children's refuge and attended school for a couple of years before beginning my mosaic training last October. She is a brilliant artist and has been rewarded very well financially for her efforts. Now the mother who has spoiled her life twice stands to spoil it again if we don't take action. Maya is very happy to give her money though, perhaps in an attempt to buy love and some kind of family connection.
After some discussion this morning with fellow carers I have decided that the girls at my studio who will sign contracts with Himalayan Mosaics at the start of next month will agree to how their wages are managed during the term of their contracts. They will pay for their keep and receive a modest amount of pocket money. The remainder will be locked away in a savings account until completion of their contract. If they need anything urgently in the meantime then it will be only by agreement of the employer (me).
It is difficult to anticpate everything over here, but that should keep the predatory parents at bay.
