Somati B.K was born in Sisaiya of Suda VDC, Kanchanpur but as a victim of natural disaster, she along with her parents had to shift to the Tharu community of India’s Chandanchowk, where she spent most of her childhood. But again as they moved to Krishnapur VDC of Kanchanpur, her father got paralyzed and eventually died. As a result, at the age of 14, she was married off to a nearby villager. Due to her upbringing in India, she faced several problems in her in-laws house; her husband’s suspicious nature bothered her a lot and even she was not allowed to talk to anyone else or going outside. As a result, she felt that her level of self confidence decreased.
Co-incidentally one day with the help of another mediator from Krishnapur, she was selected as a participant for the Basic Mediation Training .This came as a ray of hope in her life. With great difficulty, she with the help of other mediators convinced her husband to allow her to take part in the mediation training, which gradually instilled confidence in her. At the end of the training, she realized that she could use mediation skills in her personal life at the first place. When she did it, she found that her husband was positively changing and even started a small catering business in Krishnapur market. He now seeks his wife’s suggestions in his business. Nowadays, she is working as an active mediator of Krishnapur VDC; she also mediated few disputes. She is now trying to help those women like her to come forward to change their lives. She said, “Being selected as a mediator and getting skills of peace building, is my life time achievement”.
