Finding Courage Through SALT: A Story of Love, Struggle, and Hope

[Prakriti]

During a recent SALT conversation, I met a 21-year-old young woman. Initially, she was hesitant to speak with me. I explained that sharing her story with a stranger in a safe and confidential space could lighten her heart, and that I would not judge her or share her story with others. After understanding this, she agreed to participate in the SALT conversation. At first, I asked her to share a proud moment from her life. As she began to speak, tears welled up in her eyes. Gradually, she opened up about her journey:

She grew up in a small village and fell in love at the age of 16 with a senior student from her school. After three years of being in love, they decided to marry against the wishes of their families. She belongs to the Gurung caste, and her husband is from the Dalit community. Because of their inter-caste marriage, both families refused to accept them, forcing the couple to leave their village and settle far away in a different community. After marriage, both of them had to leave school and lacked any formal skills. Her husband works daily labor to earn money to support them. Sharing her story, she cried and expressed her emotional pain:

"I feel regret for my family, and sometimes I feel like I cannot go on. But my husband left his family for me and works hard every day. Seeing his efforts gives me strength to survive."

Hearing her story left a deep impression on me. It reminded me that in Nepal, many young people continue to suffer mentally, emotionally, and financially due to early and forced marriages. Even though this was my first SALT conversation in community, it had an emotional impact on me. This conversation gave me hope for the future that through listening and understanding, we can become good listeners and change-makers in our communities. For me the SALT approach provides a path to empathy, connection, and transformation.

[Rituu B. Nanda]

What strength did you see in her, Prakriti?

[Manika Kunwar]

This is the sad reality of the our society and we need to change it.  

[Prakriti]

Viewing inter-caste marriage as a crime is a problem of our social mindset, not of the youth. Masculinity does not mean controlling others’ lives and decisions; rather, it means having the capacity for equality, respect, and responsibility. If we truly talk about strong masculinity, men must learn to break their prejudices, respect women’s choices, and develop a sense of justice in society. Starting such discussions at the village level is an important step toward positive change.

[Shahrukh Atpade]

Nowadays young boys and girls are getting married inter-caste. And this is something that society and their families are rejecting. They feel that they have committed a big crime.
I am currently discussing masculinity in the village. Men are accepting the responsibilities that have fallen on them. Men get tired mentally and physically but they never express their feelings.