We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
I am a resident of Kachorwa Village, Simraungarh Municipality-8. He got married 12 years ago without understanding how to lead his life. Now I am 30 years old. It was not customary for girls to study and write. I also fell under the same thought.
Thus, from childhood, life continued from place to place . I spent some time with my parents in Tedhakatti village of Adarsh Kotwal Rural Municipality of Bara. Adolescence was spent in Mavali in Tengraha village of Rautahat . After growing up in Mavali, they got married.
I have 2 daughters and 1 son . The eldest is 13 years old and the other is 10 years old. Has an 8-year-old son . To bring up three children, mountains of sorrows have to be sprinkled . I have been teaching my three children in the village school after enduring many hardships. After the death of my husband Indal Paswan 5 years ago due to brain tumor, I have the responsibility of taking care of myself and my children.
A few days after the loss of a spouse, the world felt dark . I don't see anything anywhere . After taking care of everything, I started working as a laborer in building a house. I used to earn 400 per day for working like that. I raised my children with that income.
When he was alive, my husband suffered a lot for our happiness . Three years before his death, he took a loan and went to Malaysia for foreign employment. After working in Malaysia for three years, he had accumulated some money . After he fell ill, I spent the same savings. What would be enough for that amount? When the expenses were insufficient, I sought loans and took them to Birganj in Parsa, Bharatpur in Chitwan and hospitals in Kathmandu. As the tumor grew, the eye could no longer see . No matter how much treatment I tried, I could not save him .
After losing him, my life of struggle began . 12/13 lakh rupees were spent by taking loan for the husband's treatment . The skills learned in Mawli are now being used to pay off that debt. I am making a living by delivering goods to the market by riding a bicycle . I get up early in the morning and feed my children and send them to school. After that, I carry bags and sacks on my bicycle and reach the border market three kilometers away. I will bring food and clothes from there and return . I take the goods brought around and sell them . After visiting the market all day, I return home only late in the evening.
Now I have earned myself and built a small house. I have the same house and a bicycle in the name of property . Earning two/four money by cycling in the society is challenging for me. A Madhesi woman, on top of that I belong to the Dalit community. So it was not so easy to go out of the house and do business.
However, in the face of compulsion, it should not be called custom. And I am making a living by cycling without fear. She has not retreated from struggle, hard work and action. Now society is also appreciating my struggle. I myself am independent, happy and happy from this.
It is not easy for everyone to educate, raise, feed and clothe their children the way I did. Everyone is familiar with bringing goods across the border and doing business. When bringing goods in this way, sometimes no one except the police stops them . Earlier, I used to earn up to 2000 daily while trading clothes. This series lasted for three years . I built a house from that income. I paid the money spent by taking a loan during my husband's illness .
In the meantime, the son was hit by a Bolero jeep on the road in front of the house and his leg was broken. Three lakhs were spent on foot treatment. The owner of the jeep gave only 40,000 after 6 months as treatment expenses. When he went to the police, no action was taken, nor was he helped to pay for the treatment. That's why more financial damage was done. On the other hand, there is no income like before. Now I earn up to 1000 per day and run the household expenses. I will come and borrow goods from
and sell the same goods and pay with the money . I have saved my family by saving Rs. 1 per day.
If I had not learned to cycle in Mawli, I would have had to face a lot of difficulties now, trusting in God, the life of the family would have been . Where did the children's education come from? How difficult would it be to get rid of the daily stress? Imagine! I have raised a family by running a small business from cycling skills. The bicycle was given to the husband as dowry from Mawli.
After it was stolen, Banhu Koiri from neighboring village Itwal gave another old bicycle . I made the 'carrier' behind the bicycle with strong iron at a cost of 1500. I carry a sack on it and a bag on the front handle . Now, after the decline in the clothing business, I have started doing food business . All the families are happy with this.
Presentation: Lakshmi Sah
