Kaushi Thapa
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Authors
Kishor Sharma
Issue Date
2017-05
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Agriculture
Alternative Title
Abstract
Name: Kaushi Thapa Age: (not sure) maybe 43 Village: Paima. Paima is approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours from the nearest road, but doesn’t have a GGR. The path is partly improved with steps, partly still dirt and very steep. Family: 1 son Bijaya (11), 3 daughters – Bamila (14 & pictured), two others aged 19 and 12. Her husband Ram is currently working in India. They live in a small houses overlooking a communal area. Story: Kaushi lives in Paima village. She has a problem with her vision, which means she can only see things at very short distances. This makes carrying large baskets on rough, unmade tracks very difficult. She often bangs her head and stumbles or falls. When she goes to the road to collect rice she has to take her children with her to help her see the way, otherwise she is worried she could stumble, fall and die or seriously injure herself. When I met her she had been to the forest to collect wood. She was finding the journey back extremely difficult and didn’t want to talk or get her photo taken. Instead, we went back to her house with her and spoke to her there. She cannot farm, but instead looks after the house and her children while her husband works in India and sends money back home. Quotes: “Everything is hurting; my back, my neck, my legs, my head. My head is sore because I can’t see very well and I have banged it many times. My back and my neck ache from carrying heavy weights. “I make the journey to the road six to seven times a month because I can’t carry too much. It takes around 4 hours to go up and down. If I am carrying things downhill is more difficult because I cannot differentiate between things at different heights very easily. “I have slipped many times. But somehow I have never hurt myself. Luckily I know the terrain near my house very well. “But when I have to go far I still worry about what will happen to me if anything serious happens. “I am only able to carry small amounts from the market. I have to take my children to help me as well because of the load and the distance and so we have to spend a lot of our time making the journey. “If I no longer had to do that journey it would allow me to spend more time looking after the children and the house. It would also allow my children to spend more time studying and maybe to help me also. “As it is I have to continue to do this work. I have no choice.”
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All Rights Reserved
All rights reserved
All rights reserved