Libya, Greece, Spain, China — videos of catastrophic floods have flooded the international media.&nbsp; Floods swept away most of the Libyan city of Derna, killing more than 11,000 people. Climate change was blamed, but it was also caused by war and unheeded warnings about weak dams. The disasters are a warning to Nepal where a range of factors could worsen monsoon flooding in the coming years. The Melamchi flood in 2021 that nearly destroyed Nepal’s largest infrastructure project, and this monsoon’s destructive floods in eastern Nepal show that these disasters are already happening.&nbsp; But every monsoon there is also a flood of recrimination in India about Nepal releasing water on its rivers and unleashing floods — even though there are no reservoir projects and sluice gates on two border barrages on the Kosi and Gandaki, both controlled by India. &nbsp; Yet, every monsoon the media in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are full of headlines blaming Nepal.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-kosi-returns-to-its-old-ways">The Kosi returns to its old ways</a> The 2008 flood that affected 2.3 million people in Nepal and India was actually caused by a breach in the eastern embankment of the Kosi. The rain that year was not even heavy, so one wonders what would happen in a year when there is abnormal precipitation in the Kosi catchment.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023092204098_d8c61f36859d2d0f2aef053ea1c5a15358d618a3d8b2e772dba7ba06e8d38e0b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023092204098_d8c61f36859d2d0f2aef053ea1c5a15358d618a3d8b2e772dba7ba06e8d38e0b" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1667" loading="lazy" alt="Kosi NT"> <figcaption>Photo: GOPEN RAI</figcaption> </figure>  “After the completion of Kosi Barrage in the 1960s, the embankments have collapsed about eight times until now, but the major one was 2008,” says Ajaya Dixit, a water expert.&nbsp; In 2008, the Indian media had ill-informed headlines like ‘Nepal opened the Kosi Barrage’ which has affected public opinion. The real story is about faulty engineering of the barrage and its embankments on the Kosi, which is a river with one of the highest sediment loads in the world. Eklavya Prasad, water campaigner who is with Megh Pyne Abhiyan in Bihar, says it is unreasonable to blame Nepal for annual floods in India. He explains: “Geographically, a large number of Himalayan rivers flow down from Nepal and discharge the waters and sediment into the north Bihar region. It is a natural drainage path that flows across the international boundary and beyond human capabilities.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-kosi-s-sorrow-and-scope">The Kosi’s sorrow, and scope</a>, Kanak Mani Dixit Kosi, also known as Sorrow of Bihar, is notorious for frequently changing its course. In the last 200 years, the Kosi has gradually shifted 120km westwards. “River always chooses the path of least resistance. And when it doesn’t get to flow, it forces its way through,” says Dixit.&nbsp; Ignoring this nature of the river when infrastructure and new settlements are designed on old floodplains is what has increased the intensity and impact of floods. In many ways, it is the same reason Kathmandu gets flooded every monsoon. Infrastructure has been sited along floodplains constricting rivers such that even moderate rain becomes destructive. “All of the 56 floodgates of the Kosi Barrage are operated by the Bihar government, and if they fail to open the Nepal side is flooded. If they are opened, the flood goes downstream,” says Dwarika Nath Dhungel, former secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-geopolitics-of-nepal-s-water-and-electricity">The geopolitics of Nepal’s water and electricity</a>, Ramesh Kumar Although there is no clear clause on the operational right of the barrage in the agreement between Nepal and India, on the Kosi Project, Dhungel surmises that a subclause is being used by India to manage the barrage. Says Dhungel: “The same clause also uses the word 'maintenance' of barrage here, but there has been no maintenance effort from the Indian side.” The barrage impounds water forcing the river to deposit its sediment behind it so that the river is now flowing a few metres above the surrounding land — increasing the dangers of floods.&nbsp; The solution to transboundary floods is to look at the river system in totality. If India and Nepal are to prepare for cataclysmic water disasters in the future, the two countries must work together. The ‘national interest’ in harnessing Nepal’s rivers must be based on bilateral benefit. Says Ajaya Dixit: “Studying the nature of the rivers, not just where it floods but also from where it originates, and incorporating these elements while building infrastructure can minimise the risk of river-related disasters.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/india-nepal-ignore-climate-crisis-in-river-talks">India, Nepal ignore climate crisis in river talks</a>, Ramesh Bhushal

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A flood of recrimination

Chuman Gharti Magar cannot remember the number of times he has been stung by bees. But he clearly remembers what his friends and family had said when he spent Rs4,000 on two frame hives from a furniture shop. Back then there were no buses to his village in Musikot, so he carried the two boxes on his back and walked all the way home. His fellow villagers were clearly curious, having never seen frame hives.&nbsp; “When they found out it was a modern hive, people called me crazy for spending money for bees that naturally live in logs,” remembers Magar. “But we have to move with the times otherwise we will be left behind.” Sixteen years down the line, the same people commend him for the respect and money he has earned. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/weaving-the-fabric-of-a-new-life">Weaving the fabric of a new life</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023091905094_250426f884c15d8e2efa2bce5867dc1d9e89d0d5cc0adfeeca72bee127ff5136.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023091905094_250426f884c15d8e2efa2bce5867dc1d9e89d0d5cc0adfeeca72bee127ff5136" data-rendition-name="original" width="1640" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Beekeeping Musikot NT"> <figcaption>All photos: GOPEN RAI</figcaption> </figure>  Magar is now the proprietor of Malrani Mauripalan Kendra, where he keeps 150 hives of local Asian honeybees (Apis cerana) which produce 5-10 quintal of honey every season. He sells each kg of honey for Rs1,500 but says the price fluctuates. “I haven’t been able to fulfill the market demand. As honey is considered to have health benefits, the demand is quite high,” he says. Most of his clients are locals in Gulmi but his honey has made its way to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal and even abroad. Much of his business is through word of mouth, and customers usually call him with orders.&nbsp; He also instructs other interested beekeepers, most of whom come to him for practical training. He also sells bees and beehives. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/multimedia/staying-home-to-create-jobs">Staying home to create jobs</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023091905094_4c33b505ccce8034ab634fd124f62c4b2fd2e081fe034b02ddfc896d91c0c5a9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2023091905094_4c33b505ccce8034ab634fd124f62c4b2fd2e081fe034b02ddfc896d91c0c5a9" data-rendition-name="original" width="1497" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Beekeeping Musikot NT"> </figure>  “Most of the beekeepers here sell bees and not honey, maybe because they don’t know how. But my priority is honey,” says Magar. “Just like we keep buffaloes for milk, the bees are for honey.” Magar had passed his SLC and had tried his hand at farming for four years. But the weather and soil conditions in the mountains were not suitable. “In the plains, if you farm for a month, you get to eat for eight. Here, if you farm for eight months maybe you get to eat for one,” says Magar. Magar grew up with a mostly absent father who was a lahure. He knew that he wanted to be with his children while also providing a better life for them. So he gave up the idea of becoming a soldier like his father and neighbours and explored opportunities closer to home.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/milking-every-opportunity">Milking every opportunity</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023091905094_76460693a287bebac3e2c0a8999a3e0a6267e6f057af1f274e574c219ff39326.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2023091905094_76460693a287bebac3e2c0a8999a3e0a6267e6f057af1f274e574c219ff39326" data-rendition-name="original" width="1630" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Beekeeping Musikot NT"> </figure>  He first started with log hives but did not know how to handle bees, nor did he know what infrastructure was needed and where to get them.&nbsp; “I learned it all by playing with the bees,” he says. “Bees are technical creatures, they have their own system and habits. Once you figure that out, it is perhaps one of the easiest jobs to do.” Initially, it was even difficult for him to source frame hives. The local furniture shops did not make them and ferrying them from Butwal was too expensive.&nbsp; After three years of struggling to understand the bees, he not only understood the rules of the hives but also found someone who could make hives as per requirements. Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/money-grows-on-trees-here/" target="_blank">Money grows on trees here</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023091905094_0bac4a0b044912d58d2fe4b457ef4c43b8f760b508e33ca5fa1adb6ec2f908cf.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="2023091905094_0bac4a0b044912d58d2fe4b457ef4c43b8f760b508e33ca5fa1adb6ec2f908cf" data-rendition-name="original" width="1507" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Beekeeping Musikot NT"> </figure>  Beekeeping is both “art and science”, he says, and once mastered can yield benefits without much investment. “One of the more important things to learn is hive management because if one is not careful during the seasons when bees procreate, there may be nothing left of the old hive,” says Magar.&nbsp; Another thing to consider, he says, is making sure there is sufficient pollen for the bees to forage. To ensure that all his bees have an ample amount of pollen, he takes a decentralised approach. Magar does not keep all his hives in one place, spreading them in the neighbourhood. Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pigs-fly-and-fish-climb-trees">Pigs fly and fish climb trees</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023091905094_baafd322cf49e702495b11c6e8ba2616b768611b9adcf99c17efb6b6002da681.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="2023091905094_baafd322cf49e702495b11c6e8ba2616b768611b9adcf99c17efb6b6002da681" data-rendition-name="original" width="1455" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Beekeeping Musikot NT"> </figure>  Professional beekeeping is an undertapped business idea, says Magar: “If every village had 50-100 hives, we could probably export honey,” he adds. One of the major challenges for beekeeping is weather extremes due to climate change. Last year, when it rained for seven days straight, half of Magar’s hive was wiped out.&nbsp; “There is either too much rain or not enough, which has affected the productivity of the bees,” he says. “The weather patterns these days are unpredictable, which makes it difficult.” Magar, however, is happy to be where he is today and credits it all to the bees: “If it wasn’t for the bees, I would probably be working under the hot Gulf sun.” &nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/life-in-a-pickle/">Life in a pickle</a>, Sahina Shrestha <h2>Busy bee</h2> Why a declining bee population should concern us  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023091905094_3d26239faee533da09e6d9fef4241f6959347ebd7ca5cd0a3c65cdbd75d74e14.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="2023091905094_3d26239faee533da09e6d9fef4241f6959347ebd7ca5cd0a3c65cdbd75d74e14" data-rendition-name="original" width="1564" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Beekeeping Musikot NT"> </figure>  When we talk about bees, most of us in Nepal immediately think of honey. Indeed, it is an example of a thriving eco-business with some 16,500 beekeepers across the country producing over 4,000 tonnes of honey every year. The rest of the demand is met by imported produce, mostly from India. While domesticated honeybees are important pollinators, much more important for the ecosystem are the 20,000 or more species of wild bees. Wild bees mostly gather pollen from native plants to feed their young in hives, while domesticated honeybees tend to pollinate crops, flowers and invasive species. Together with other insects, the more important wild bees are in decline worldwide.&nbsp; Nepal’s hallucinogenic ‘mad honey’ is popular because of a series of documentaries made about their collection. An ancient but risky honey hunting culture has Nepal's indigenous people venture up cliffs on flimsy rope ladders twice a year in autumn and spring to extract the Himalayan giant honeybee (Apis laboriosa) honeycomb, a 3cm bee species that forages at up to 4,100m. Of the five honeybee species found in Nepal Apis laboriosa, Apis cerana, Apis dorsata, and Apis florea are indigenous to the Himalaya. Meanwhile, Apis mellifera is a European bee species introduced in Nepal for commercial purposes in 1990. Only Apis cerana and Apis mellifera are used for commercial honey production. Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/bee-population-in-decline,3613">What's the buzz</a>, Sonia Awale  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023091905094_6745452799ee2e99b04d465433007bfe62bb1bb9da2fc8e274ff0386acf705fe.jpg" data-media-id="editor_13" data-image-id="2023091905094_6745452799ee2e99b04d465433007bfe62bb1bb9da2fc8e274ff0386acf705fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="1523" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Beekeeping Musikot NT"> </figure>  These bees graze on a variety of flowering plants determining their flavour including herbal rudilo, Indian butter tree, mustard, buckwheat, litchi and fixed flower honey among others. But more importantly, bees are responsible for one of every three bites of food we take. Bee pollination can increase food productivity by up to 30%, but wild bees and honeybees are disappearing all over the world due to the use of pesticides, spread of parasites by humans, as well as new diseases. Urbanisation and unplanned infrastructure have reduced grazing areas and caused farmers to switch to monoculture, leading to decreasing abundance and diversity of flowers. This has also affected bee populations. The climate crisis, with cloudbursts and unprecedented wildfires, are destroying habitats and beekeepers report a sharp decline in honey collection in Nepal.&nbsp; A beehive in itself has a well-organised and complex social life. There are worker bees that find pollen, drones whose main job is to mate with the queen, and the queen bee who lays up to 1,500 eggs a day and controls the worker bees. &nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/to-bee-or-not-to-bee">To bee or not to bee</a>, Nabin Baral

Honey = Money

Greenhouses are supposed to be hotter than the ambient temperature because the glass or plastic traps heat inside so plants can grow in winter. But one greenhouse here on the southern fringes of Kathmandu is an exception: it is cooler than outside. It feels like an enormous refrigerator, and there is no visible thermostat. The agro-tech company Muttho Nepal has deployed a combined concept of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/garden-walls">vertical layered farming</a> and hydroponics, allowing for plants to grow in a relatively small space with nutrient-enriched water. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/muttha.nepal/">Muttha Agro</a> is the brainchild of Kushal Gurung of Wind Power Nepal and Gandaki Urja, who has also been promoting alternative energy sources in Nepal with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/this-is-bullshit">Nepal’s biggest industrial-scale biogas plant</a> in Kaski and a series of wind farms.  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020940_bd58b85ade5e1929ccaed09cac9c098ab4336f21b012480868f241ae08ce9818.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230916020940_bd58b85ade5e1929ccaed09cac9c098ab4336f21b012480868f241ae08ce9818" data-rendition-name="original" width="5149" height="3433" loading="lazy" alt="Vertical hydroponics"></figure>   <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020940_4642c4b18e3936a530dcfc441b54b926ec69a1d249ba4c53e71419d8b3556458.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230916020940_4642c4b18e3936a530dcfc441b54b926ec69a1d249ba4c53e71419d8b3556458" data-rendition-name="original" width="5398" height="3599" loading="lazy" alt="Vertical hydroponics"></figure>  “This is an alternative to traditional agriculture most suited to cities like Kathmandu with its limited land already crowded with concrete buildings and scarce water,” explains Gurung, showing visitors around his complex. “The once-fertile soil in Kathmandu is also becoming too acidic for crops because of the overuse of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/heavy-pesticide-use-and-low-consumer-awareness-affecting-public-health,1394">fertilisers and pesticides</a>. Muttha stepped into production in March 2023, and its applied demo system has also been installed in the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)’s <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/small-is-possible-at-godavari-park">Living Mountain Lab in Godavari</a> for other farmers to adapt to or learn from. After <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/rooftop-agriculture-on-the-roof-of-the-world">rooftop farming</a> and the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/mini-forests-to-make-kathmandu-more-liveable">Mikawaki method of forestation</a> where diverse indigenous plants are densely planted in small city plots, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/something-fishy-in-new-nepal-farm">hydroponics</a> can maximise productivity in a limited area while saving water by circulating it again and again.  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020928_9594937bc01ae879d754f233d3a48baa46c3849cbba130983f7ab26a4b17063c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20230916020928_9594937bc01ae879d754f233d3a48baa46c3849cbba130983f7ab26a4b17063c" data-rendition-name="original" width="3854" height="2569" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farming in Kathmandu"></figure>  Muttha Nepal goes a step further by integrating the global practice with local knowledge, adds Gurung. “In Nepal, most hydroponics are investing millions and bringing experts from abroad to install their systems. But we installed the whole setup by ourselves, understanding our own needs,” he says. Also unlike most hydroponics that have artificial heating or cooling, Muttha uses the natural temperature balance, bringing down energy cost and making the venture most cost-effective. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/back-to-the-future-of-farming">Back to the future of farming in Nepal</a> “Artificial temperature control is costly whereas sunlight is free," says Erik van Os, a Dutch expert with 40 years of experience in hydroponics. Van Os is helping Muttha Nepal grow sustainably as part of <a href="https://www.carsu.edu.ph/?q=topics/programma-uitzending-managers">Programma Uitzending Managers</a> (PUM), which is committed to the sustainable development of small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries and emerging markets. In a natural temperature setup, the topmost layer gets most of the sunlight, which means plants that need more sun are placed above while others go in their shade.  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020940_5ce9cb81d68990d2d7458658a417a836a8b7cc3eadc57c8cb1fc593946ce1a5f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_13" data-image-id="20230916020940_5ce9cb81d68990d2d7458658a417a836a8b7cc3eadc57c8cb1fc593946ce1a5f" data-rendition-name="original" width="5676" height="3784" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farming in Kathmandu"></figure>   <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020940_8548ec4c064b9bcd33f3874af495f24525d3ec1612f0aa3bbcde2711f0ce0436.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20230916020940_8548ec4c064b9bcd33f3874af495f24525d3ec1612f0aa3bbcde2711f0ce0436" data-rendition-name="original" width="3749" height="2499" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farm in Kathmandu"></figure>  Farming is seeing mechanical and technical advances globally, but Muttha is making the most of what it has with inputs from advisers. Gurung and the team do not consider the lack of high-tech appliances as setbacks. Using a mid-tech greenhouse, surrounded by a white net, the vertical hydroponics structure provides enough space for ventilation. The net of the surrounding walls can be covered with plastic during heavy rainfall. The topmost layer below the plastic roof is a shade net that decreases the temperature by 2-3°C. Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/rooftop-gardens-kathmandu,1415">Hanging gardens of Kathmandu</a>, Santa Gaha Magar Inside the greenhouse, there are five perfectly aligned separate columns with four systems each of six levels of pipes, each having six pipes with 28,000 holes in which leafy greens are grown. Each row has a 500 l tank half-embedded below ground level. The nutrient-filled water is circulated throughout the pipes through these tanks with the help of a water pump. The plants are high-value produce like lettuce, basil, kale, arugula and celery, and poke out of the vertically arranged holes in the pipes. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/waste-to-value-with-biogas-in-nepal">Waste to value with biogas in Nepal</a>, Sushmita Dulal  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020944_d33e3b643183fbe495a15c6f84e3515a830bf111adea934d61411ec309f7a5e0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20230916020944_d33e3b643183fbe495a15c6f84e3515a830bf111adea934d61411ec309f7a5e0" data-rendition-name="original" width="5852" height="3901" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farming in urban areas"></figure>   <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020944_8817163ed3831895da1e4bc0adb4708ff5a93762dea13b99abd20c89cbecd1b5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_18" data-image-id="20230916020944_8817163ed3831895da1e4bc0adb4708ff5a93762dea13b99abd20c89cbecd1b5" data-rendition-name="original" width="4668" height="3112" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farming in urban areas"></figure>  “We have stuck with salads for two reasons. One, it has been the tested crop of hydroponics worldwide and is a sure success everywhere,” explains Gurung. “Second, it is a perishable high-value crop that cannot be imported.” Muttha is also experimenting with growing strawberries, coriander, and tomatoes but salads are their priority. With an investment of Rs6 in each sapling, it can earn up to Rs30 when it grows. Muttha also runs training workshops to share its knowledge to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-farmers-reap-what-they-sow-and-more">make farmers across Nepal climate-smart</a> to keep up with rising temperature and droughts. Just this monsoon, parts of Nepal’s hills and much of Tarai were not able to plant paddy on time due to reduced rainfall. For now, deploying this combined alternative farming in urban centres is a start to greening <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-lure-of-green">concrete jungles</a>, while increasing productivity of farms. Von Os sums it up: “Integrating hydroponics is the way forward to intensify the produce in places like Kathmandu with limited space but high demand.”

Greening a concrete jungle

The art scene in Nepal is witnessing a renaissance, and at the centre of this resurgence is <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/The-world-beyond-thangkas,3139">Tsherin Sherpa</a>, the internationally renowned artist known for his distinctive, and sometimes provocative, fusion of traditional and contemporary. Sherpa has now embarked on a new chapter in his career by returning to Nepal to open <a href="http://www.takpagallery.com/">Takpa</a>, Kathmandu’s newest art gallery strategically located in Lazimpat. ‘Takpa’ is a playful spin on the Buddhist expression of ‘Mitakpa’ which means impermanence. So, Takpa is permanence and for Sherpa this name encapsulates his exploration of the dynamic interplay between the sacred and the secular and reflecting his journey from traditional thangka painting to the unique, hybrid approach he eventually mastered. “Growing up, I never thought I would be an artist. My father was an established thangka painter, and he always wanted to hand over his knowledge to one of the children. For better or worse, it happened to be me,” quips Sherpa who started <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/sacred-survival">painting thangkas</a> at 12.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023083104084_36f4866caba6ddf21f17b1c3ef85a936ef4797b11b3a844db1c95db0ef9fc2ac.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2023083104084_36f4866caba6ddf21f17b1c3ef85a936ef4797b11b3a844db1c95db0ef9fc2ac" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Takpa Gallery"> </figure>  But in the late 1990s venerated thangka art was becoming commodified as in tourist souvenir shops. “I was discouraged seeing this, and did not want to follow my father’s footsteps,” recalls Sherpa who enrolled in a computer science course in Taipei and later went to the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/us-nepali-art">United States</a> in 1998 to live there for the next 20 years. Away from home, Sherpa needed an emotional outlet which he found in art. He visited museums and exhibitions, and rediscovered the real sacred significance of thangka paintings.&nbsp; Two exhibitions of South Asian and Chinese art pushed him to experiment with traditional techniques like Chinese brush in contemporary art. &nbsp; But Sherpa does not regret his Computer Science degree, in fact it allowed him to integrate technology into his art. He explains, “Computer science actually helped me visualise my work, allowing me to spend less time drawing sketch after sketch. I do one sketch, scan it, work on the computer and finalise it.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023083104084_b7cd3d76c665505d343a523cbb911185159514dde895797dfc984e1f5a95fa37.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2023083104084_b7cd3d76c665505d343a523cbb911185159514dde895797dfc984e1f5a95fa37" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Takpa Gallery"> </figure>  <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-craft-of-art">Sherpa’s shift</a> from traditional thangka painting has been shaped by encounters with diverse art forms during his time in the United States.&nbsp; For instance, his first experience of painting something non-traditional was a marketing poster for Jamba Juice. This made him realise that he could go beyond the traditional confines to express himself and bridge the gap between older and modern art forms. Sherpa now divides his time between California and Kathmandu and draws inspiration from diverse cross-cultural lifestyles to imbue vitality in his artistic expression.&nbsp; “Your work becomes stagnant if you are just in one place. Travelling allows me to go to new places and learn, so I keep moving,” he says. And yet, each of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/god-and-superman">Sherpa’s works</a> is a visual representation of his heritage. The modernised thangka themes represent his heritage and identity.&nbsp; Collaboration has become a hallmark of Sherpa's artistic approach, and he works with local artisans to develop skills and offer them platforms to exhibit. His tie-up with traditional copper repoussé artists after the 2015 earthquake resulted in exhibitions spanning continents and landing collaborative work at the Rubin Museum in New York. Back in 2018 when he relocated back to Nepal, Sherpa noticed that there were not enough platforms for emerging artists to showcase talent. In 2022, Nepal participated in the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-pavilion-afloat-in-venice">Venice Biennale</a> for the first time, where Sherpa collaborated with many local artists, sculptors and installations, providing them with the exposure they deserved.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023083104084_961a0d2fecc3aecf134463af308fbddefbb83b781d025d46de32c2532b455128.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="2023083104084_961a0d2fecc3aecf134463af308fbddefbb83b781d025d46de32c2532b455128" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Takpa Gallery"> </figure>  Takpa is an extension of this collaboration with Nepali artists, which comes after <a href="https://windhorseartgallery.com/">Windhorse Gallery in Jhamsikhel</a> which he also had a hand in opening three years ago. Takpa is currently showing artist Pooja Duwal’s first solo art exhibition Stranger Is a Friend.&nbsp; Takpa also showcases Tsherin Sherpa’s work from time to time, but the artist says his main intention is to help Nepali artists.&nbsp; “I am more visible internationally and I want to use that opportunity to create a platform for other emerging artists so they get more visibility,” he says.&nbsp; Sherpa also has a non-profit, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HimalyanARTinitiative/">Himalayan Art Initiative</a> that provides training to young artists in Nepal teaching both traditional thangka painting as well as contemporary art styles.&nbsp; He says, “If there is potential, we showcase the work at our gallery and then internationally. It all comes back to not letting art die.” Strangers no more With an array of both large and small oil on canvas and charcoal created in six months, Pooja Duwal’s exhibition Stranger Is a Friend invites viewers to contemplate the transformation of Bhaktapur.&nbsp; The charcoals are strikingly monochromatic and melancholic, and are a commentary on what Nepal risks losing in its frenzied march to modernity. The portraits depict Duwal’s family members, with her sister as a recurring muse. These alla prima creations exude an immediacy and authenticity.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023083104088_306323233dbbe6603137a258741e36e1d29d19d98c5722573a779ade93b0471a.png" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="2023083104088_306323233dbbe6603137a258741e36e1d29d19d98c5722573a779ade93b0471a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1927" height="1207" loading="lazy" alt="Takpa Gallery"> </figure>  &nbsp;Duwal paints Bhaktapur’s labyrinthine alleys and hidden corners meticulously capturing the mundane yet profoundly meaningful everyday activities: laundry drying a terrace, people sipping tea, reading a newspaper or strolling down by a pond.&nbsp; Stranger is a Friend is a visual documentary of the tangible and intangible threads, and an enduring spirit in life’s fleeting moments. In two pieces, Duwal employs diptychs and triptychs, weaving together narratives that transcend individual frames, drawing viewers to complex connections between specific instances, individuals, and the city itself. Duwal's art serves as a reminder to slow down and savour memories and moments of life as time races by. The paintings offer a haven for contemplation.

Tsherin Sherpa returns home to Takpa

Nepali Times: How did this transition from banking to politics happen so suddenly? Anil Shah: I worked in the banking sector for 31 years, 17 of them as a CEO. The primary reason I left is because I have always been vocal about young people needing a chance at leadership. And it did not seem fair to keep expressing that opinion while I held on to my own position. I then wanted to move on to something new, and set up Lead Nepal Inc, the objective of which was to craft leaders. For a year, I shared my three-decade leadership, management, motivation and team-building experience with political parties, law enforcement and military, private organisations as well as students. Around that time, my daughter graduated in New York and we planned to go to Boston to visit friends. We were crammed in an Uber in New York on the way to the train station and during the ride, the driver looked at the rear view mirror and asked if I was Anil Shah. He turned out to be Nepali who eventually asked why someone like me had not entered politics. I replied that I was not interested. He was emphatic that people like me needed to bein government.&nbsp; I told him that politics was not for me, but he made me a promise — if I were to get into politics, he would donate $1,000 to me and he had 100 other friends who were willing to donate the same amount. The gentleman’s name is Mangal Shrestha, and I thanked him when we got off at the train station. I thought his heart was in the right place, but I did not take him seriously. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/arnico-panday-the-political-scientist">Arnico Panday, the political scientist</a> The day after I joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) I got a message on Facebook (from Mangal Shrestha) asking where he could send the money he had promised me. At that moment, his hope, and the hopes and aspirations of Nepalis like him, touched me deeply. In Boston, I met Nepali students at Harvard, MIT, and Tufts. One of the students said they were tired of me complaining for 15 years about how our politics was a dirty pond that no one was willing to clean up. I needed to either stop talking about it or wade into the dirty pond myself and try to clean it up, he said. Should you decide to get into politics, we are with you. It was a culmination of various conversations like this that touched me and made me question why I could not take this step. Then came the question of where to go. And I think RSP was a good fit for me, because they are new to politics just like I was, and their vision and thought process sort of matched with mine. I thought if I was going to make a jump into this pond, these are the people I want to do it with. I was reminded by Mangal Shrestha him of the Nepali spirit of honesty and integrity. He could have forgotten about his promise, but he reached out to me. This told me two things: the first was the hope that not only I, but the RSP as a whole had given people like him. The interaction also showed me was the state of despondency people feel about what is happening to our country, the hopelessness that a Nepali Uber driver in Manhattan feels about returning. I think it reflected the thoughts of a lot of the youth regarding the visions of the RSP and its aspirations towards the people.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023080608080_02e108f695e02a5472ba5cf2a3ac19ad9b0a15c504b31021e9d3fdc0d3694e7b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023080608080_02e108f695e02a5472ba5cf2a3ac19ad9b0a15c504b31021e9d3fdc0d3694e7b" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1456" loading="lazy" alt="Anil Shah RSP"> <figcaption>Photo: GOPEN RAI</figcaption> </figure>  Did you have to think a lot about whether it would be the RSP or maybe RPP or Bibeksheel? Definitely. Coming back and joining the RSP was not my first thought. My knee-jerk reaction would have been to join the Nepali Congress because my family has historically been closer to NC. <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/the-rana-reign-a-recap-of-history,3751">Subarna Shamsher Rana</a> is my wife’s grandfather. But it was not a question of joining a party for a position, or to use family legacy. I wanted to join politics to try and actually do something. The RSP has made you the head of its training department. Do politicians need training? Politicians do think that they should be the ones giving training, not getting it. That is why our country is where it is right now. However, our party does not have politicians, it has ordinary citizens like myself who want to do something for the nation. And the best thing is that a lot of RSP members— parliamentarians and Central Working Committee members alike— reached out to me to say that they were willing and glad to be trained because they wanted to learn to become better leaders. That kind of positive attitude is a start. A few days ago our party chair Rabi Lamichhane, parliamentarians, CWC members and other leadership sat down and discussed our training visions for leadership. We looked at our strengths and weaknesses and how we can individually contribute to the party. All of this makes me believe that I am in the right place. What kind of training do leaders need? Training is not one-size-fits-all. For the parliamentary party and the Central Committee, it is a training of synergy, team building, teamwork, and confidence building, all so that we can work together as a cohesive unit. At the end of the day, even though we are a political party, we are a startup. So when we go to the provinces, the training focuses on introducing the party and our Constitution, our vision, our culture. When we go to people who want to stand for elections, at any of the three levels, we explain what leadership is, and what one is expected to do when the party is in leadership, what our role will be when we are the opposition. We train people about how to express criticism that actually adds value and moves elected leaders in the right direction. Meanwhile, we have our ‘Mission Chaurasi’, because we are clear that we are going to run the country after the next elections in 2084 (2028). This is because we cannot be trying to figure out what to do and how to lead once we are already elected and waste another two years in the process. That is why we are taking these years to prepare. The question we always ask ourselves is not what to do or how to do it, it is why we are here. We are not like other cadre-based political parties, and we cannot forget why we exist. We are still figuring that out. I tell people that I have not joined politics, I have joined people-tics. Nepali politics has been plagued by leg-pulling, an unwillingness to compromise, and infighting. Can they be trained to change that? You cannot teach old dogs new tricks. But the RSP is still a puppy, so what our entire team learns now is going to be really crucial and we want to learn the right values and skills. This is a country of countless leaders, but the RSP wants to create value-based leadership from the roots at all three levels of government, which entails humble, value-based leadership. I start off by saying that if service is beneath you, leadership is beyond you. In Nepal, I find once you become a leader, service becomes something that is seen as shameful. But leadership is about service. It is not about being in charge, it is about being responsible for the people in our charge.&nbsp; What is the difference between training bankers and politicians? The core of political leadership is about the people you surround yourself with. And what I like about our chair Rabi Lamichhane is that he welcomed people like myself, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-needs-to-rebrand-itself">Dr Swarnim Wagle</a>, Shishir Khanal, Manish Jha and Dr Toshima Karki. If he had just wanted to rule, he would never bring people like us into the party, he would always have people who look up to him and surround himself with yes men. I have been in corporate meetings, and meetings of other political parties, and there is always free dialogue and conversation within the RSP. Our weakness is perhaps a lack of structure but there is no lack of open dialogue and discussion. You said you were inspired by the diaspora, but there are more Nepalis leaving, many of them for good. What do you say to them? I used to always think and tell <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-family-spread-across-kuwait-cyprus-uae">people who went overseas</a> to come back, make a life in Nepal, and do something for the country. When I once said this to a labour migrant, he replied that while I had come from a well-to-do family, he did not have the same privilege of coming back home to stay off work and spend time with family without there being consequences. I realised that to many people, spending time with their mother might mean letting her go hungry. That is when I decided that I was not going to tell the youth to come back because not everybody has what I have. What I am going to tell them is not to forget Nepal. The country has what it has and the economy is sustained because of money sent by the people who pour their sweat in foreign lands. Nepal is not just its land and its rivers, it is also its people, wherever they are.&nbsp; Read also:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/migration-not-a-wish-but-necessity-for-nepalis">Migration not a wish, but necessity for Nepalis</a>, Shristi Karki <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/making-overseas-migration-better">Making overseas migration better</a>, Kunda Dixit Are you going to stand in elections yourself, maybe from Bhirkot where your ancestors are from?&nbsp; Anil Shah: One should never say no when it comes to politics, because you never know. If the party needs me and tells me I must stand, why not? I will not back down and say no. But if I were to say right now I'm going to stand from Kathmandu or Bhirkot or Janakpur, then I would have to devote half of my time to developing my constituency. If I were to focus on that while also building the leadership within the RSP— which has been my dream— I will fail in both of those undertakings. Right now I am clear within the party that my job is not to win elections and be given a post, my job is to ensure results in all three levels of government in the next election.&nbsp; Should I go to Bhirkot, I am confident that I can develop it. But developing Bhirkot will not develop Nepal. I have embarked on a journey where I want to build the kind of leadership to develop all of Nepal. The interactions and energy from Kosi and Lumbini have been phenomenal so far. Additionally, there is sometimes a misconception that the RSP is a party of and for young people. That is not the case at all— we are a party of Nepalis where people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, and religions are welcome. The central leader in the RSP from Bhirkot is from the Muslim community and from my ward. There is already a leader there.&nbsp; A lot of Nepal’s ageing leadership is overly ambitious, egotistic and do not want to let go. Do you address that in your training? Absolutely. I call that god syndrome. This belief that rules do not apply to us because we are in politics. But whether it is traffic rules, or having to be in a queue, we impress upon the RSP leadership during training that we must follow them. &nbsp; Do you think Rabi Lamichhane has god syndrome? Everybody has an ego, including me. The question is if <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/after-balen-the-rabi-phenomenon">Rabi Lamichhane</a> can control it, and from my experience he can. Rabi Lamichhane is a brand now. He is looked at as the face of the RSP, as the tip of the spear of a lot of people’s aspirations. People could argue and comment on all of his speeches and public appearances, but he has to do that as the leader of a national party. There is a difference between being invisible and being humble. And whether it is in parliament or on the streets, he is humble but never invisible. He is a humble man—a god-fearing man—and he is someone I think I can follow as a leader. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/rabi-lamichhane-is-home-less">Rabi Lamichanne is Home-less</a>, Shristi Karki

"We are a political startup"

Hari Chandra Prajapati was only 14 when he started learning how to mould a lump of clay into a work of art just like his forebears did.&nbsp; There was something about shaping wet clay into everyday items that fascinated the teenager, and inspired him to follow his ancestral trade at a time when his peers were more into video games and movies.&nbsp; By age 15, he had taken over the family business in Thimi started by his great-grandfather. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/multimedia/take-to-pottery-during-the-pandemic">Take to pottery during the pandemic</a>, Monika Deupala  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023073005074_da63f4e3c952981b4a03b830df523bf3dcc3f639d0aa5b3648a7be8ce1749054.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023073005074_da63f4e3c952981b4a03b830df523bf3dcc3f639d0aa5b3648a7be8ce1749054" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Pottery NT"> </figure>  Today, Jwojolapa Ceramics, tucked away in a narrow alley of this ancient town is a showroom, and a training centre.&nbsp; Beginners and professional pottery makers all come here to revive a millennia-old tradition that Thimi is famous for. Kathmandu Valley used to be a lake till as recently as 10,000 years ago, and when the water drained away it left fertile alluvium ideal for agriculture and pottery.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=330">Casting years in earth</a>, Abha Eli Phoboo&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023073005078_2462bdf8a60ae2a4f75eb241266bef1b1eaaeabd162fc794bc141647b8e10cea.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2023073005078_2462bdf8a60ae2a4f75eb241266bef1b1eaaeabd162fc794bc141647b8e10cea" data-rendition-name="original" width="1800" height="1200" loading="lazy" alt="Pottery NT "> </figure>  “Nobody is ever perfect in the art of pottery, but we all carry on the legacy of our ancestors and also innovate with ceramics,” says Prajapati. Nepal’s handmade ceramics have been replaced by mass produced items from India and China that are more durable.&nbsp; But ceramic kitchen items and household pottery products are experiencing a renaissance in Nepal, as demand grows for more home and hand-made articles with artistic designs.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/bhaktapurs-potters-adapt-to-survive/">Bhaktapur's potters adapt to survive</a>, Monika Deupala  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023073005078_7804092c54015b2a900afb5647f0f0139df1c20f5cce70dbca819f808f06d023.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2023073005078_7804092c54015b2a900afb5647f0f0139df1c20f5cce70dbca819f808f06d023" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Pottery NT"> </figure>  Clay pots and earthenware have always been extensively used in religious rituals, now people are eager to incorporate them in their daily lives as well. “As more people become aware of its significance, they are relearning and reviving this art, which makes me happy,” says Prajapati, who is also a certified pottery and ceramics skills trainer having taught in Korea and many schools in Kathmandu Valley. Many who visit Prajapati’s shop to learn pottery do so because they consider it a form of therapy as they let the fingers shape the oozing clay.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6805">Feats of clay</a>, Alexandra Alter  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023073005078_caae5a4f1d40383d0943a1da7937f3e1de84546d6cf6c99fbc8b2564fc519c42.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="2023073005078_caae5a4f1d40383d0943a1da7937f3e1de84546d6cf6c99fbc8b2564fc519c42" data-rendition-name="original" width="1800" height="1200" loading="lazy" alt="Pottery NT"> </figure>  With help from the Association of Craft Producers, Prajapati has connected with buyers from all over the world. Business suffered after the 2015 earthquake and during the Covid lockdowns. Prajapati tried his hands at other businesses but it was inevitable that he would return to a profession he was passionate about. &nbsp; Large objects like flowerpots are still fired with wood, but electric kilns have simplified the process and most pieces are glass-glazed. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/coming-out-of-the-woodwork?preview_nonce=9d7ef77938">Coming out of the woodwork</a>, Kunda Dixit  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023073005078_65e6ae633debc7fca43a423af12ff0622ed4ef6c41235d3bd00daf1e24d80af3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="2023073005078_65e6ae633debc7fca43a423af12ff0622ed4ef6c41235d3bd00daf1e24d80af3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Pottery NT"> </figure>  “We used to turn the potters’ wheel with our hands in the past, but it is easier now with an electric motor. I can focus better on the designs,” he says. Raw clay has become difficult to source because Kathmandu is getting more built-up. Prajapati used to truck in clay from Sintitar, but the place now has apartment blocks, so he has to venture further afield to Sankhu.&nbsp; Despite challenges, Prajapati is excited for what the future holds for the handicraft art form. He says, “It makes me happy to see the enthusiasm of the younger generation in traditional craft. Now we can preserve our cultural heritage and create opportunities for future generations.” Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/crafting-a-heritage">Crafting a heritage</a>, Shriluna Shrestha

Hari the Potter

From his village in Bajura in western Nepal, the Indian border is much closer than Kathmandu, so that is where Manbir Sanjyal &nbsp;has been going to find work since he was much younger. &nbsp;&nbsp; India is referred to here as कालापहाड, beyond the black mountains. And hundreds of thousands of Nepalis, especially from western Nepal, have for many decades crossed over to work as apple pickers, porters, domestic help or security guards in India.&nbsp; Sanjyal worked in Kumaon, Garhwal, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for years, and eventually he returned to Bajura. Kathmandu may be 800km away, but with better connectivity Sanjyal and many like him do not have to be migrant workers in India — they can be migrant workers in the capital. Sanjyal, now 59, moved to Kathmandu six months ago after farming in Bajura became insufficient to feed his family. He rented a farm in Panga at the western edge of the Valley and grows vegetables to sell in the market. He is doing so well, he plans to get into dairy farming as well. &nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/multimedia/weaving-the-fabric-of-a-new-life">Weaving the fabric of a new life</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230722060748_e38f52fd434eebc0c25c2262b646bf3bbec8c3f837dbf132dfb798cb4db56d10.png" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230722060748_e38f52fd434eebc0c25c2262b646bf3bbec8c3f837dbf132dfb798cb4db56d10" data-rendition-name="original" width="700" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="Bajura"> </figure>  “When we were young we toiled in India, now our grandchildren can make a living growing food in our own country,” says Sanjyal, looking out from his greenhouse. “In addition, the grandchildren can get better education and health care here.” Sanjyal’s son Jeevan completed high school in Bajura, and wants to go to college in Kathmandu. Bajura ranks lowest among Nepal’s 77 districts in the human development index. Poverty and poor harvests are endemic in the district because of lack of state support for irrigation. This makes Karnali Province the most food deficit part of Nepal with one of the highest rates of stunting and wasting among children. &nbsp;&nbsp; News of Sanjyal’s success has reached his village in Bajura and inspired other families to also make a move to Kathmandu. Lali Prasad Pandey came to Kathmandu after hearing about his sister’s successful commercial vegetable farming business in Kirtipur. He had worked in Qatar for three years before returning home to Saunegaun in Bajura, where he attempted unsuccessfully to make a living farming.&nbsp; “I did make some money during my time overseas, but it was not enough to cover costs of healthcare or my children’s education,” he says. Pandey has been a vegetable farmer in Kirtipur for six years now, and his neighbours are also farmers from far-western districts like Bajura, Humla, Jumla, Kalikot, Mugu, and Rukum-West.&nbsp; Like Sanjyal, Pandey has set up greenhouses to grow seasonal vegetables and finds a ready market in Kathmandu, even though over the years the profit margin has fallen.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/multimedia/mothers-of-sarlahi">Mothers of Sarlahi</a>, Marty Logan  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230722030744_5aa5cc9d9f5f7b88eee46980d523617c9060d1fd268d4620f39acc7177f3e893.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230722030744_5aa5cc9d9f5f7b88eee46980d523617c9060d1fd268d4620f39acc7177f3e893" data-rendition-name="original" width="5002" height="3335" loading="lazy" alt="Kathmandu's little Bajura"> </figure>  So, Pandey recently bought four cows to diversify his business, and sells milk door-to-door at Rs100 per litre. The cows also provide fertiliser for his vegetable farming business.&nbsp; “Dairy farming is like having a salaried government job,” Pandey jokes, referring to the secure income it provides.&nbsp; But the extra work also means he and his wife have to work 24/7 on the farm, and there is no time to go home to Bajura. Coming to Kathmandu was a good move, and Pandey has been able to send his children to better schools, and he is happy he does not have to be separated from his family any more.&nbsp; Tilakhuni BK was Pandey’s neighbour in Bajura, and also came to Kathmandu hearing about the favourable business environment and schooling for the children. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/biodynamic-agripreneurs">Biodynamic agrepreneurs</a>, Sanjib Chaudhary <div class="embed-block"><div><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="//cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FYgoOEmwX8HI&key=87ca3314a9fa775b5c3a7726100694b0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer *; clipboard-write *; encrypted-media *; gyroscope *; picture-in-picture *; web-share *;"></iframe></div></div></div> But Tilakhuni has not been as successful with her farm in Kirtipur. Her family invested Rs200,000 on the greenhouses and terraces, but then came the Covid lockdowns. She had to sell her cows, and her husband had to go to Saudi Arabia to supplement their income.&nbsp; Tilakhuni was bargaining with a customer on the phone, and when she hung up complained that she would do all right if she could deal directly with buyers more often. But the middlemen take away most of her margin. &nbsp; While Tilakhuni sells her greenhouse tomatoes at Rs15/kg, middlemen sell them to city wholesalers for Rs50. “We do all the work, but get none of the benefits, no matter how hard we work,” she says.&nbsp; Despite this, life in Kathmandu Valley is still better than in her village Bajura. She says, “I may not be earning as much as I expected, but I am happy with what I have. Whatever hardship we face here is nothing compared to the struggles we had in the village.” Tilakhuni’s priority is that the children get quality education in the city. Her brother, children, and nephew attend school in Kirtipur. Her eldest son has completed his SEE exam, and her daughter is currently in middle school.&nbsp; “The quality of education in the city is much better than that in the village,” says BK’s daughter Ramita. “We get an English medium education here and this improves our chances of going abroad in future.” Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/down-in-sherpa-s-farm">Down in Sherpa's farm</a>, Sonia Awale  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230722030748_0114ba51ea101b8ca2ab64801df994f199d241e84f5dccc516a5d11ebadd7e30.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20230722030748_0114ba51ea101b8ca2ab64801df994f199d241e84f5dccc516a5d11ebadd7e30" data-rendition-name="original" width="5002" height="3335" loading="lazy" alt="Kathmandu's little Bajura"> </figure>  Hearing about Tilakhuni’s work also convinced Deepa BK to move to Kirtipur four months ago. Deepa currently helps Tilakhuni on her farm but is actively thinking of leasing her own vegetable farm. &nbsp; “I came here so that my children do not have to suffer and grow up the way that I did,” says Deepa. “There is no future for the children back home.”&nbsp; Her husband currently works in India, and is now making preparations to move to Kathmandu. Health care is another reason the Bajura families all migrated to Kathmandu, and for a feeling of home, they all live near each other in Kirtipur and Panga.&nbsp; Tilakhuni BK and her husband were both unable to get medical treatment for their ailments in India, but found health care to be better and more accessible in Kathmandu.&nbsp; Manbir Sanjyal requires regular dialysis, but the facility is not available at the Bajura District Hospital in Martadi. So he moved to Kathmandu, but says the state is not fulfilling its responsibility to provide healthcare in rural areas. Lali Prasad Pandey agrees: “Hospitals in Bajura do not meet even basic needs. If the state had made these services available in our home district, we would not have had to move here.”&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/multimedia/my-children-shouldnt-be-farmers">“My children shouldn't be farmers”</a>, Anita Bhetwal

Kathmandu’s Little Bajura

Palpa is famous for its Dhaka weaves, but Pabi Sara Rajali did not know this when she first ran away from home to come here more than 20 years ago. From a Magar household, she did not even speak Nepali.&nbsp; She had grown up in the mountains, herding livestock, fetching firewood, doing household chores. She often wondered what the outside world looked like and wanted to earn money to escape her little village. A cousin worked as a weaver in Tansen and proposed to take Pabi Sara with her. Her parents opposed the idea, so she ran away.&nbsp; Life in the bustling market town was different from her mountain village. She not only had to learn to weave, but also a new language. But with her cousin’s help, she quickly picked up both. “It wasn’t an easy job, but at least I had some money of my own,” remembers Pabi Sara. “In my village, I didn't even get to see money, here I could wear what I wanted and eat what I wanted.” Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/multimedia/staying-home-to-create-jobs">Staying home to create jobs</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230721200744_917427d1a45990a3646f2fa68a49586ca0f8bcb2fdc66c50cfe67595d6eca496.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230721200744_917427d1a45990a3646f2fa68a49586ca0f8bcb2fdc66c50cfe67595d6eca496" data-rendition-name="original" width="2250" height="1265" loading="lazy" alt="Weaving the fabric of a new life  NT"> <figcaption>All photos: GOPEN RAI</figcaption> </figure>  Pabi Sara met Chandra Bahadur Rajali, who worked as a technician at the weaving centre. He had come from Gulmi at the age of 12 to spin threads and worked his way up to weave and fix machines. They got married in 1999, and a year later, their first daughter was born. But their combined salaries were not enough to provide for the family of three. So, while Pabi Sara continued weaving, Chandra Bahadur took up a construction job. But that did not pay well either, and they opened a butcher shop in the bazar. Even that did not work out. So, Chandra Bahadur decided to try his luck abroad. He took a loan and went to Dubai. The earnings there were not as good as expected, and the work in the desert was hard. In three years there, Chandra Bahadur saved just enough to pay back the loan to his recruiter. “I thought that I’d be able to make the same money at home while living with my family, so I came back,” he says. In Palpa, he went back to working at the dhaka factory again. He realised that because so many young men had migrated for work, there was a labour shortage and wages had improved. The fabric that had been a part of Nepal’s national dress had started gaining popularity and the demand for Palpali dhaka had surged. Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/milking-every-opportunity">Milking every opportunity</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230721200744_52229a8d9ac98b115b1eb0a062d1796b0e25620bcc2135e1930ee100dc4a844f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230721200744_52229a8d9ac98b115b1eb0a062d1796b0e25620bcc2135e1930ee100dc4a844f" data-rendition-name="original" width="2250" height="1433" loading="lazy" alt="Weaving the fabric of a new life  NT"> </figure>  Dhaka fabric originated in southeast Asia and came to Nepal through then East Bengal during the British days, which is why it is still called ‘dhaka’. Experts have traced the patterns and colours of Nepali dhaka to Bangladeshi jamdani dhakai. The dhaka tradition in Palpa can be traced to the late 1950s when Ganesh Man Maharjan traveled to Dhaka where he saw saris made from the muslin. He learned the process and set up the first factory in Tansen. The fabric became emblematic of the country’s identity when King Mahendra made it mandatory in the 1960s for government officials to wear dhaka topi.&nbsp; After 17 years of weaving dhaka for others, the couple decided to strike off on their own. Today, Pabi Sara and Chandra Bahadur's New Sangharsha Dhaka Udhyog is one of the 32 small-scale dhaka businesses in Palpa. They borrowed money, bought a plot of land, and struck a deal with a factory owner who was closing down and bought five of his jacquard looms. “Getting the looms was not enough, we needed stands, threads, and that too added to the cost,” says Pabi Sara. They named their company Sangarsha Dhaka Udhyog, a nod to the many struggles they had in life. But the struggle was not over: while both had the weaving and mechanical skills, they did not know enough about management.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/life-in-a-pickle/" target="_blank">Life in a pickle</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230721200744_b917b152bf28b262ac1adef0e22782165f945a9df1b9d64981602b57e38d71b4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230721200744_b917b152bf28b262ac1adef0e22782165f945a9df1b9d64981602b57e38d71b4" data-rendition-name="original" width="2250" height="1462" loading="lazy" alt="Weaving the fabric of a new life  NT"> </figure>  In 2016, Pabi Sara got selected for the Women Rural Enterprise Acceleration Project where she learnt the basics of running a business and was among the top five entrepreneurs in the district. Things were slowly starting to look up for the couple. Before the pandemic hit, they expanded to 11 looms and even set up a showroom in the bazar. But the factory remained closed during the lockdowns, so did the showroom and they faced severe losses. Then a landslide damaged a part of the factory and four of the looms.&nbsp; “It felt like our backs gave out,” recalls Pabi Sara. The couple did not have the money to pay interest on their loans or taxes to the government. They decided to shut down for good. “We went around asking for help from the municipality and government offices but maybe because we are small people with no political connections no one listened to us,” says Chandra Bahadur. Desperate, the couple sold corn and other vegetables by the highway, carrying the sacks on their backs.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230722030732_395843c7b6e8d30db91d8cae34af1612bc891572b36695e16d01a7930c124f78.png" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20230722030732_395843c7b6e8d30db91d8cae34af1612bc891572b36695e16d01a7930c124f78" data-rendition-name="original" width="926" height="535" loading="lazy" alt="Tansen"> </figure>  When the world started getting back to normal in 2021, they renovated the shed and registered the company again. Things seem to be finally falling into place, and they now employ seven women on six looms and sell everything they produce from the factory itself. On average, the company has a turnover of Rs200,000 a month. “There is a huge demand for dhaka in the market but we have not been able to meet it,” says Chandra Bahadur. “We don’t have enough space to add more looms. But we do not have the capital to expand either, and there are loans to pay off.” Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/money-grows-on-trees-here/" target="_blank">Money grows on trees here</a>, Sahina Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230721200744_bfd8c3dfbd37278b891a82366c9a5985bdd382363173f210cecb53fe5af1e983.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20230721200744_bfd8c3dfbd37278b891a82366c9a5985bdd382363173f210cecb53fe5af1e983" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="1860" loading="lazy" alt="Weaving the fabric of a new life  NT"> </figure>  While uncertain about financing, the couple is confident about the quality of their weaves. The thinner and tighter the threads, the better the design and quality of the fabrics, and Pabi Sara makes sure the weavers all hit hard to make firm knots. Since they have risen up the ranks themselves, they know that happy workers make better products, and take good care of the staff. Rambha Devi Saru was one of the first women to join the company ten years ago. She learned to weave from Pabi Sara herself, and has been working with the couple ever since. Her husband worked in Malaysia and is now in Saudi Arabia. “I was just wasting my time at home. But since I started working here, I feel like I am contributing to the household as well. It makes me happy,” says Rambha. Pabi Sara empathises with that and is pleased she can help other women gain financial independence. “If I had just turned to my husband to provide for me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So I encourage them to join us. We want to help them in any way we can,” she says. She adds, “We want to scale up and hopefully create a sustainable business. If one day, our daughters decide that they don’t want to work for someone else, I want them to at least have this business to fall back on.” Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pigs-fly-and-fish-climb-trees">Pigs fly and fish climb trees</a>, Sahina Shrestha

Weaving the fabric of a new life

Just about everyone seems to want to go to Pokhara these days, but for an authentic cultural experience, head further west. A 4-hour drive away is Baglung that offers genuine Magar hospitality amidst splendid scenery.&nbsp; Along the Mid Hill Highway, on the fringes of lush green forests at the height of 1,600m is Torikhola Community Homestay in Ward 2 of Galkot Municipality. Sita Pun, 42, has been hosting guests at her home for the past six years — one of 12 families in the village of 65 households that run homestays.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230703130720_95963f62cf71a7f8e665212b8f0895f4573d5566f5f36adf5de168868d5483c4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20230703130720_95963f62cf71a7f8e665212b8f0895f4573d5566f5f36adf5de168868d5483c4" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1222" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  Clad in a sarong, cholo and ghalek, she welcomes guests with flowers, before serving them auspicious kodoko sel, makai and gundruk. Lunch and dinner are variations of the organically grown vegetables, with local rice or dhido, dal and chicken curry cooked over firewood.&nbsp; Guests here come from all over Nepal, and word has spread about the warm traditional hospitality and tranquility of the place. Besides hosting guests, Sita tends to her organic vegetables, milks the buffalos, making curd, takes care of the chicken and distils a powerful home-made liquor. And all of this is offered to guests.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040728_5591d6a72933053f1069137789a90ca184e5c77de66dde4c6e72b5131fa60d90.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230701040728_5591d6a72933053f1069137789a90ca184e5c77de66dde4c6e72b5131fa60d90" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  “This homestay has made me financially independent,” says Sita, who says she was earlier just doing household chores, gathering firewood and fodder. “I was not happy. But now I have the confidence to step out of the house and achieve anything.” Sita was 20 years old when she got married to Rom Prasad Pun who left for Malaysia to work soon after. He hardly wrote, and money was tight.&nbsp; She had suffered a miscarriage just before her husband left, and taking care of the large family was not easy. But she silently fulfilled her duty, waiting for her husband to return. When he sent money, it all went to the in-laws.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/milking-every-opportunity">Milking every opportunity</a>, Sahina Shrestha Without mobile phones and the internet, communication was difficult. She had to walk down to the bazar to make long-distance landline calls to Malaysia. It was expensive, and her husband rarely came to the phone.&nbsp; “I desperately wanted to see his face and hear his voice,” Sita recalls, adding she had to borrow money to make those calls. In all of the 10 years her husband stayed in Malaysia, he wrote home only once. Even then, there was no mention of her. Still, she read the letter over and over every night after a hard day of farm work.&nbsp; Rom soon stopped communicating altogether, and Sita was alone and did not have enough money for food and clothes.&nbsp; “I spent my days in a daze. I very much wanted to do something on my own, but I did not know how,” says Sita. “I had no skills and I did not know anyone.” Finally seven years ago, when Galkot Municipality and the ward office approached residents with the idea of starting homestays, she grabbed the chance. Baglung district has one of the highest out-migration rates in Nepal, and Galkot town even has a hill named Japan Danda because every household in the village has at least one or more members in Japan.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040740_f5c53785e8a8d9a7f5376b702008eeeb575d57ced4e2c2510ff2dc0f6c2b6a39.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230701040740_f5c53785e8a8d9a7f5376b702008eeeb575d57ced4e2c2510ff2dc0f6c2b6a39" data-rendition-name="original" width="1021" height="628" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  There are locked up houses and fallow fields all around Galkot, and at night only a few houses have lights. More youngsters now are migrating to Croatia and Poland. Their elderly parents then move to Kathmandu, Pokhara or Chitwan, living off the money they send home.&nbsp; The reasoning behind Galkot Municipality’s decision to promote community homestays in Torikhola was to retain young residents by creating jobs, and preserve the culture of the Magar people. “Torikhola is rich in nature as well as culture. It is also easily accessible and has much to offer, which makes it a good spot for homestays,” says Galkot Mayor Bharat Sharma.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pigs-fly-and-fish-climb-trees">Pigs fly and fish climb trees</a>, Sahina Shrestha The municipality started with a study tour to observe how other places were running homestays, and Sita signed up. There was only one problem: she would be leaving a day after her husband was set to return to Nepal. Her husband tried to convince her not to go, saying he would now support the family. But Sita had no intention of depending solely on her husband anymore. “I told him it wasn't about him coming back, that I had to learn a skill to support myself,” she says. “And he would not have to go to Malaysia again. So I left my husband at home and went on the trip.” Looking back, Sita has no regrets. She learned a lot on the trip and a year later, Torikhola Community Homestay was opened for business. Today, her husband is her biggest supporter.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040732_9e306006064770d1f3a8dcce9a18ed2f03d936ce64563fcdd151f4d2e4085248.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230701040732_9e306006064770d1f3a8dcce9a18ed2f03d936ce64563fcdd151f4d2e4085248" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  “Homestay tourism is the best way to dissuade our young from leaving by providing them jobs at home,” explains Kumar Pun Gharti, Chairman of the Torikhola Community Homestay Committee. Sita was one of the first five operators, and today there are 12 members. Business took a hit during the pandemic lockdown, but it is starting to pick up again. Before Covid, the committee earned up to Rs150,000 a month from guests which was distributed equally among members. A night’s stay at Torikhola costs from Rs1,200-1,500, food included. “The biggest difference between a homestay and a hotel is that at a hotel you serve customers, at a homestay you welcome guests,” says Sita, who is happy she no longer has to rely on just her husband for money. They now sends their two children to a boarding school nearby. “I want them to study as much as possible so that they don’t end up like me,” says Sita, who studied up to Grade 6 and wants to resume studying. “I really want to learn English but I am not sure I can.”&nbsp; Sita Pun is an inspiration to many, says former ward member and homestay operator Bhakta Bahadur Gharti Magar.&nbsp; “Whatever difficulties and challenges life threw at her, she did not give up and has reached here,” he adds.&nbsp; Three months ago, Rom once again left the country, this time to the UK. Her father-in-law who was in the British Army had resettled there and after he died her mother-in-law asked her son to come to stay with her. But this time, unlike so many years ago, Sita is not worried or scared. She speaks with her husband regularly on video, and keeps herself busy with her homestay business and other social work.&nbsp; “There is a huge difference between the Sita of then and now,” she says about herself. “Back then I knew nothing, now I am confident I can look after myself, my family and my community.” Sita’s goal now is to empower more women financially and socially, just like she did. She says: “In the coming days, I want all the women to become entrepreneurs who don’t have to rely on their husbands. Maybe they can be involved in homestays just like me.”&nbsp; This is the eighth in the series Striking Roots, where we feature the stories of entrepreneurs from across the country. If you know someone whose story needs to be shared, email us at <a href="mailto:editors@nepalitimes.com">editors@nepalitimes.com</a>&nbsp;

Staying home to create jobs

When Sajadi Khatun felt the familiar pain, she knew what to do: she, her husband, her mother and a neighbour quickly left their house in Laxmipur village and started the 20-minute walk to nearby Sundarpur Health Post. They did not get far. Ten minutes later, Sajadi delivered a baby boy on the roadside.&nbsp; After delivery, the tired new mother returned to her home on the outskirts of Sarlahi’s district headquarters Malangwa while the rest took the newborn — the family’s fifth child, and third boy — to the health post for a check-up. A nurse visited and found both mother and child health.&nbsp; “I wasn’t worried about giving birth on the roadside," says Sajadi, stoically, although she and her husband had wanted to deliver the new baby in the health post, like her previous three children. The first was delivered at home as there was no health post in the community at the time.&nbsp; Ahead of the last birth, Sajadi had gone to the health post for check-ups (known as ante-natal care, ANC, visits) eight times before her due date. Recently, Nepal increased the recommended number of ANC visits from four to eight, but in 2022 just 68.4% of women in Madhes Province did four or more ANCs.&nbsp; The local Female Community Health Volunteer (FCHV) had also visited her house many times. On the advice of those health workers, Sajadi was eating as healthy as possible to keep up her own weight and that of the baby.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230623080636_18c6ee1ef9c231899017a764b9a89ff1ab5d9d3cd4eb417cf91e4868d2041f1f.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20230623080636_18c6ee1ef9c231899017a764b9a89ff1ab5d9d3cd4eb417cf91e4868d2041f1f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1496" height="828" loading="lazy" alt="Map Sarlahi"> </figure>  At the health post, Sajadi, who is not sure of her age but is probably about 30 according to the FCHV sitting nearby during our interview, also started taking calcium and iron supplements and got a tetanus/diphtheria vaccination. Because the facility did not have an ultrasound machine, she and her husband, who do not own a vehicle, paid to go to a nearby private clinic and get the examination. It revealed no problems but staff there estimated her due date 20 days later than the actual delivery day.&nbsp; We do not know what would have happened if the ultrasound had been done at the health post, and produced a more accurate delivery date, but the roadside birth highlights again how lack of resources plays a role in maternal and child health in Nepal, despite the best intentions of health personnel and, of course, families. There was no ultrasound machine at the health post, and no ambulance to call when Sajadi’s labour started.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230623080612_a44aa91ec02c4b2996c3b0bbdfc17847b279fefd6720b65fb5d2cf0fa5d40e78.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230623080612_a44aa91ec02c4b2996c3b0bbdfc17847b279fefd6720b65fb5d2cf0fa5d40e78" data-rendition-name="original" width="3007" height="2619" loading="lazy" alt="Sajadi Khatun"> <figcaption>New mother Sajadi Khatun, holding her fifth child, talks to nurse Sunita Rai in front of her home near Malangwa in Sarlahi district. </figcaption> </figure>  “The problem is that we don’t have an ambulance in the municipality,” says Auxiliary Nurse Midwife Sunita Rai, who accompanies us to Sajadi’s house. “If we had an ambulance when a woman has a problem like a roadside delivery, we could send it right away and reduce the number of home deliveries.” Sarlahi district, and Madhes Province overall, still have a high number of home deliveries. Statistics from the district health office show that 53.5% of births happened in health facilities in 2021-22. That leaves 46.5% occurring at home or en route to facilities. The Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2022 found that 66.6% of births in Madhes Province occur in a facility versus 79.3% for Nepal overall.&nbsp; “The health situation in Madhes Province is a little worrisome to us, despite all the facilities there,” said the secretary of the Ministry of Health, Roshan Pokhrel. “We’re thinking about giving different targets to different provinces, rather than having a central target,” he added.&nbsp; Nepal is aiming to reach the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. The 2022 rate was 151, according to the NDHS.&nbsp; Read Also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/this-is-how-to-upgrade-nepals-rural-health"> This is how to upgrade Nepal's rural health</a>, Sewa Bhattarai In Sarlahi, health infrastructure is a key factor affecting maternal health. Medical Superintendent of Malangwa Hospital, Nawal Kishore Jha, told us that the facility has burst its seams. For example, when the Covid-19 pandemic displaced the emergency and in-patient departments, they moved to what was the waiting area, where they remain when we visit in April.&nbsp; Also, two years ago the hospital delivered one or two babies daily, but today it is closer to 20, including a growing number of Caesarean sections, yet the facility lacks a gynaecologist, meaning that non-specialists perform the 3-5 ‘C-sections’ done daily.&nbsp; Reached again on budget day, 16 June, Jha has good news: his hospital will be upgraded to a 100-bed facility. That could mean more buildings, more trained staff and equipment, including a CT scan machine.&nbsp; In case of a maternal emergency, accessing the district hospital — the best-resourced health facility in Sarlahi — should not be an issue as it is only a one-hour drive away from anywhere in the district, unless there is monsoon flooding, adds Jha. Yet as Sajadi’s example shows, lack of resources — like ambulances — can still be a barrier.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230623080636_749b8cb16b39c940e487ba9770a57df181a69ce80f9878240eb273c16e5d4096.png" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230623080636_749b8cb16b39c940e487ba9770a57df181a69ce80f9878240eb273c16e5d4096" data-rendition-name="original" width="2880" height="1800" loading="lazy" alt="Mothers of Sarlahi 2"> <figcaption>Women harbest wheat during the pre-monsoon Tarai heat wave recently in Malangwa.</figcaption> </figure>  While Jha and the nurses at health posts all say people’s awareness of maternal health and its potential complications could be higher overall, in the diverse communities near Malangwa, most women and their families are motivated to use health facilities, both to get as healthy as possible before giving birth and for the actual delivery.&nbsp; Besides awareness, living conditions are a major factor, says nurse Kanchen Rai at Laxmipur Khodra Health Post: “We can provide education, but the biggest problem is people’s lack of money. There has been some improvement but the poorest people still don’t have clean water and toilets.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230623080620_b68ff8cb3b3aa01e13dd5ae964c1a4b71296a0ac601a42d47eaa2ce4698db618.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230623080620_b68ff8cb3b3aa01e13dd5ae964c1a4b71296a0ac601a42d47eaa2ce4698db618" data-rendition-name="original" width="4032" height="3024" loading="lazy" alt="Rabena Khatun"> <figcaption>First time mother Rabena Khatun with her baby in front og her house near Malangwa in Sarlahi district. ALL PHOTOS: MARTY LOGAN</figcaption> </figure>  “Pockets” that are away from urban areas and further marginalised by diverse factors are where home births still happen, and must be targeted for improvement, says Jha.&nbsp; First-time mother Rabena Khatun, 22, told us she felt “very happy” when she knew she was pregnant. Within three months she had visited the health post for her first ANC, following it up “3 or 4” more times before delivery, accompanied by her mother-in-law.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/midwives-to-the-rescue-in-nepal">Midwives to the rescue</a>, Laxmi Tamang “The nurses told me I should eat more nutritious food so that I gain weight,” she tells us, crouching on the ground outside of her small thatch-roofed bamboo home, cradling her son Ehsan, now 37 days old, on her lap.&nbsp; When Rabena’s labour pains began, she went to the health post with her mother-in-law and two other relatives. After 10-12 hours the baby was born, without complications. Instructed by a nurse, the first-time mother started breastfeeding within 30 minutes.&nbsp; She tells us that no one in her family or community suggested during her pregnancy that she deliver at home, adding, “All the facilities are there (in the health post) so I felt confident.”&nbsp; <h2>Promise of a healthier district</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023062308068_9211b4979e6bafea6f5138663b56b17c33b42294bb53e81c7d3280b5a34fe400.png" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="2023062308068_9211b4979e6bafea6f5138663b56b17c33b42294bb53e81c7d3280b5a34fe400" data-rendition-name="original" width="1297" height="664" loading="lazy" alt="saving lives"> </figure>  The Medical Superintendent of Sarlahi District Hospital in Malangwa, Nawal Kishore Jha, sounded upbeat after hearing in the Madhes Province government budget on 16 June that the facility will be upgraded to a 100-bed hospital.&nbsp; “I’m very happy with the decision, it responds to all our demands,” Jha said on a call from Malangwa. The larger facility will receive more trained staff, more space, including to provide maternal healthcare services, and more equipment such as a machine for CT scans.&nbsp; The government also announced it would build two 50-bed hospitals elsewhere in the district, and that all other municipalities would have 15-bed facilities.&nbsp; The budget revealed that Sarlahi will become a 'completely safe motherhood district'. Among other things, that means all births will be in health facilities, accompanied by skilled health workers, and all pregnant women will have the required number of pre and post-natal checkups.&nbsp; “It is possible,” says Jha, “but it will take some time.” <h2>Bumpy ride triggers birth</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230623070656_11438bd7c592e3d356ed26bfcb7de4ae014f8b23549bcafe2f383d6083c61224.png" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20230623070656_11438bd7c592e3d356ed26bfcb7de4ae014f8b23549bcafe2f383d6083c61224" data-rendition-name="original" width="2794" height="1608" loading="lazy" alt="Mother of sarlahi 1"> <figcaption>Anita Kumari Yadav with her baby and husband. </figcaption> </figure>  Anita Kumari Yadav had felt a pain for three days that she thought meant she was going into labour for her first baby. She walked to nearby Sisautiya Health Post, but was always told it hadn’t started.&nbsp; On the third day, nursing staff referred her to the district hospital because of the delay. When she arrived with her in-laws after a bumpy ambulance ride, she was told she would need a Caesarean section.&nbsp; “I was scared to have an operation,” says Anita, 20. She called her husband, a bus driver who was en route from Kathmandu. He told the family to wait until he arrived. But they didn’t have to. The baby was born half an hour later, one positive outcome of the bone-jarring ambulance ride, speculates Auxiliary Nurse Midwife Ringku Kumari Raut.&nbsp; Like the other women interviewed in the Malangwa area, Anita diligently did her ANC check-ups, once also visiting the district hospital to have a test confirmed. She took iron and calcium supplements (when in stock) and added fortified flour to her diet to gain weight.&nbsp; Nurse Raut says she is happy with how she and her colleagues managed Anita’s delivery, despite the health post’s limited resources: “Everything is fine now but if something had happened, the hospital had resources and facilities to deal with it.” <h2>Maternal deaths deliver lessons</h2> A day before the central government budget was released on 29 May, officials in the Family Welfare Division (FWD) of the Department of Health were resigned to the fact that the status quo was the most they could achieve in programming for the 2023-24 fiscal year.&nbsp; But Section Chief Gauri Pradhan had her fingers crossed that a verbal promise of more funding would allow the section to expand at least one program — for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/news/3-nepali-mothers-still-die-daily-at-childbirth">maternal and perinatal death</a> surveillance and response (MPDSR).&nbsp; Started in Nepal at the Maternity Hospital in Thapathali in 1992, guidelines were created for the program in 2015 and revised in 2021. Today, MPDSR takes place in 42 districts, both in hospitals and where there are maternal and newborn deaths in communities.&nbsp; The promised funding, from an external partner, will permit the program to expand to more hospitals and communities. Pradhan displays the WhatsApp app on her mobile, which shows a group for reporting of mother and newborn deaths in hospitals and another for community deaths.&nbsp; Asked why this one program is likely to be the only maternal and newborn health initiative in the FWD to expand next year, Pradhan says: “It is the basic thing to take action to learn the cause of death. Without knowing the causes, how can we develop activities to make childbirth safer?”&nbsp; Expenses for this trip were paid by One Heart Worldwide.