Evicted from her home by in-laws for not giving a birth to a son, Laxmi KC, 30, is a mother of four who grew up in a rural area of Nepal.
To take care of her family, she works predominantly as a construction worker. She carries heavy loads of sand or bricks up to the top floor of high story buildings.
After she gave birth to her son, Rajan, she hoped for better treatment by her husband who was already unfaithful to her at that time. Instead, he became increasingly aggressive and physically abused her and the children.
“I hit him back,” she said with pride and explained that her husband left shortly after.
“The kids don’t miss him,” she says as her daughters echo their mother’s words.
Laxmi has been supported by small local nonprofit called Orchid Garden that provides schooling and food for her children six days a week, while she is at work.
Laxmi converted from Hinduism to Christianity and when she has the funds, she goes to church with all her kids on Saturdays. “It was not until I become Christian that all my worries and pain disappeared.”
