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A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service "Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities." Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia. For more 2011 feedback click here.

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Bishna Maya Bandari

About three years after giving birth to her son – her first and only child – at age 22 Bishna Maya Bandari felt her uterus fall.


For the past 25 years she has struggled with her prolapse without access to the health services she needed, and without treatment.

When she spoke about her problem with her husband, he said nothing at first. After some time, he allowed her to go see a traditional medical healer. Unfortunately, those methods were unsuccessful and her pain and discomfort continued.

Despite this, Bishna counts herself as lucky because 15 years ago her son was married, and her new daughter-in-law became a major source of support and assistance with her domestic responsibilities.

When I feel pain, I lie down and ask my daughter-in-law to bring me some hot water,” Bishna said. When asked what she did in the 10 years before she had this support, she frankly replied, “What could I do?  There was work to be done.”
  
Though her husband never gave her the financial resources to go see a doctor, he did not stop her from finding them herself.  Thus, with some money sent home by her son, who works as a wage laborer in Quatar, she bought a goat and then sold the offspring, along with some excess wheat and vegetables from her farm. With this money, she self-financed her trip to the gynecological camp in Udayapur in the hopes of receiving surgery for free.

After evaluation by doctors there, she was determined to have a “presidential” – a prolapse where the uterus is completely distended outside the body, and cannot go back inside. At this stage of the condition, hysterectomy is the only option.

After twenty-five years without any treatment, Bishna was able to have a hysterectomy that would end her pain and suffering.

 

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