What a day! Grains of thought.

When Manju, one of our Community Mobilisers, asked me to visit her home I didn’t expect such a full day, on so many levels.

Sunday is usually spent at the office but Manju had booked a day off to work at home and as most of the team were away I thought it a golden opportunity to get to know this young lady a little better. We caught a bus at 7am and travelled for only about 20 minutes and then climbed up the path to her home village.

Manju walking up to her village

She giggled as we walked up the path between houses and called out to neighbours who were intrigued at her companion.  Her mother was busy at the chulo (clay hot plate) preparing the dhal bhaat. Yet again I wished that I hadn’t eaten porridge. Their little house was very clean and ordered. The delightful and classic red and blue with clay rubbed surfaces (this is a cleaning method).

Manju and her mother outside their lovely house.

Most of the cooking is done in a lean-too shed, which seems an excellent way of reducing inhalation of black smoke indoors. At the end of the house there is a small kitchen with a double ring gas burner for when it is too cold or wet outside with a store room mainly full of millet heads.  Then mother’s room with a ladder leading to the attic store where there are ordered piles of dried maize cobs, garlic bundles and a place for the rice.  Manju’s bed is in the end room.  There is a single bed in every room so that when Manju’s sisters and families return they can double up and fill the house.

View from the front of their house.

Then up the hill further onto the rice terraces where we were joined by 3 ladies and a young man. Most had been cleared but Manju’s still remained, cut and lying neatly on the ground.


Members of the team.

I was soon in my element and found my most useful role which didn’t require too much talent.  I gathered rice into bundles being instructed to be gentle as so much of the grain falls off the heads with every move. I did try the skill of tying these but after a couple of dodgy attempts went back to the simpler task with a bit of variety helping the “big bale” lady. This is another skilled job as each bale has to retain as much grain as possible and needs to be solid and secure for carrying. First the ropes are laid on the mat, a pillow of loose rice and then bundles are laid with care. In the middle, bundles are doubled over so that the end results do not have a waist. (A bit like me!!)

Preparing a "big bale".

With the help of a novice!

It was wonderful to experience Nepali traditional farming. This reminded me of my childhood at Start Farm where we were joined by friends and family to make hay, load trailers, clamber on and unload in the barn. This would continue all day until we were all exhausted but happy to have it gathered in before the rain. The chatter, banter, laughter and teamwork were wonderful.

Loading

My feeling of admiration towards Manju has jumped up to another level. The youngest of 4 daughters she was the first girl in the village to pass her School Leavers Certificate without any retakes. The system here is for these exams in Class 10 (aged 16 or over) and then plus 1 and 2 (6^th form equivalent). The options are nursing, commerce, sciences, development and education as I understand, probably more, and she chose education. This meant getting up a 4am, leaving at 4.30am to walk to school for the first class at 6am. She would have to miss the last class to get back to her village by 10am where she was working as a primary school teacher.

All this at 16 years of age. She also had the added responsibility for the family terraces, planting, tending and harvesting as her sisters had married and moved to Kathmandu. Her father had died when she was 14 and she feels a huge sense of duty to care for her mother who is not in good health. Since that time she has studied for her B Ed which she has nearly completed, awaiting results, and been employed as a Community Mobiliser. College classes are usually held for 3 hours a day, 6-9 pm.

How they get up I don't know.

Back to the harvest, the team continued as we talked and worked. Two of the ladies and the young man carried the big bales down, about 1km, to the house in rapid succession as we tried to keep ahead. This worked well and I felt useful!! After about 5 hours it was “tiffin” time (lunch break) and I wanted to do my bit by carrying a big bale.

Cheating!

This was not easy, as my face might show, although I hate to admit that an individual smaller bale had been made especially for me! The hardest bit was clambering up and down the terrace walls which the others tackled like mountain goats. My balance was compromised but I didn’t disgrace myself. The pressure on the top of my head meant that I was so pleased when we arrived.

The journey through the terraces

and nearly there. Phew!

Another daal bhaat was offered, I couldn’t manage that so had fruit but I do understand why these hard workers need to be well fuelled. I then fought my natural competitive spirit and decided that I should make my way home and abandon the team. My legs will ache tomorrow, crouching is not my forte and there was a lot of interest that kneeling was my preferred stance!! Perhaps this helped my deeper thoughts that were being posed throughout this wonderful experience. 

Back home for dhal bhaat.

After reading through this blog entry to make certain that she was happy with my words Manju added this quote:

 “Our society has a priority for boys, girls are not accepted as equal. It is very hard to face community members and some people put me down. As a girl I have to put up with this. Some are very critical. While I was working as a teacher I was always teased that I would soon be married and would not be teaching for long. If I tried to speak at a meeting my ideas were not respected and no-one listened. For example, 3 or 4 years ago a mixed group were trying to set meeting rules. My ideas were not listened to. But yesterday, (at a Rotaract meeting), I was asked for my views. I developed 6 or 7 rules which were not only listened to but were agreed and signed. Some of my community also now show more respect”.

This is a great example of a brave young lady and seeds of change. The role of Community Mobiliser has also added to her portfolio of experiences and I have a strong feeling that, as my father used to say, “she will go far”.

 

What a cheeky look.