NEW DELHI, Nov 23: She doesn't want to know what destiny has in store for her. She is braced to face any kind of challenge and undergo any form of hardship to bring happiness to her family.
Maya (name changed), a Nepali citizen, is currently residing in East of Kailash, New Delhi. The place is new to her but after seeing hundreds of women like her in the Indian capital makes her feel better and confident about life. Her face was glowing with charm when she shared her plan of becoming a surrogate mother.
“I have completed all medical check-ups and have been waiting to carry someone's baby in my womb,” she said. She is counting her days to find a good client who can pay her up to Rs 700,000 (around US$ 7,000).
Maya, a mother of two, is currently dreaming of educating her children in good private schools and saving money to buy a small house in Nepal. Her children are studying in government school in Nepal and living with her maternal family.
Poverty: A Multidimensional Problem, Nepalese Context
Twenty-eight-year old Maya, originally from Butwal Basti of Rupandehi district, came to New Delhi recently while her husband has been working there for the last two years. She first worked as a housemaid and earned up to Rs 8,000 a month. Later she decided to become a surrogate mother realizing that she could earn 'decent' money if she carried someone's baby.
“Our financial condition is not good at all,” she shared. “Thousands of Nepali women have rented their womb for money and I don't see anything bad in this.”
She further explained that she would like to keep her decision secret from her family members in Nepal so as to save herself and her husband from social disgrace.
“I am to carry someone's baby with the consent of my husband. Once we have the money in our hands, we will go back to the village, build a small house and educate our children,” she summed up.
Thousands of Nepali women are in India's rent-a-womb business. Those women were accompanied by their husbands or relatives through the porous border. Upon reaching India, they acquire any form of Indian identity to become eligible for surrogate mothers.
In the meantime, hundreds of Nepali women, who have been working in India, have also opted to carry someone's baby for money. Initially, they went to work as housemaids or laborers and later chose that profession.
Dr Sahil Gupta, Asia Pacific Manager of the Tammuz International Surrogacy, said that hundreds of Nepali women come to India for surrogacy and get Indian identity to become eligible to carry babies for foreigners. “Nepali women need to have an Indian ID in order to become surrogate mothers in India, so they get Indian IDs made for foreign clients,” Gupta told Republica.
Sarita (name changed), from Kakarvitta, was accompanied by her husband to India. For her, earning Rs 800,000 is something that her family will have done in a lifetime. Her husband is working as a mechanic in a garage in New Delhi. The couple is dreaming of earning decent money first and then planning about their future. “We took train from Silguri and came here. I wasn't convinced by anyone for this job. It's open everywhere here,” she said. “We might buy a house in India with the money I get. This feeling makes me immensely happy,” she added.
Sarita's cousin has also recently arrived in New Delhi after getting to know about the job. Her agent has convinced her cousin that she is eligible to become a surrogate mother and will arrange everything required.
Though there is no authorized data on how many Nepali women have travelled here to become surrogate mothers, an estimated number of 30 to 50 percent of all surrogate mothers are of Nepali origin, according to Tammuz International Surrogacy.
