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Lal Kala Pal
Sarkegaad 4, Humla
It is not easy staying inside the Chaugoth alone. But if there is someone who is also menstruating then you have a friend and support. You can take turns cleaning up the Chaugoth and prepare for the day together. We also get to sit besides the fire and talk about our lives, hopes and misfortunes.
Life for women in these parts of the country is not the same as life of women who are from the cities. Things here are more traditional and we have to abide by the rules of the society. Women cannot do what men do freely. There have been changes also and we all hope some day our daughters will be treated with dignity like our sons. At least, I am sending my girls to school. That is what makes me happy. Some day she will have as much knowledge as my son and I hope she can do bigger and better things than I have ever done in my life.
You see I have always been a housewife, taking care of my husband, the kids and the animals. And we are the first ones to have to deal with all the problems. We have to protect our children and the animals and our mothers and fathers who do not have the physical capacity to protect themselves. You see, our husbands are not always home. Some go to work in India and some are just absent. Sometimes if the husbands are incapable then the woman of the house has to earn money too so that she can feed her family. She has to manage all of this in the absence of things essentials for life.
Let’s take water as an example. Every time there is a landslide the water stops and the plumber is also unreliable and unreachable at times. And during menstruation we cannot use the taps in the community so we have to go to the river. If we run out of water at night then it is not easy, because there is no lights to guide us to the river.
And cleaning is also not easy due to lack of water. Also sanitary pads costs money and we cannot always rely on having them. So we use cloths. It is a challenge for us to dispose of the stuff that we have accumulated during our periods. If we expose the blood stains then we will be scolded and called bad names. It is a difficult life for all of us women here.
लल कला पाल
सर्केगाड ४, हुम्ला
छाउगोठमा एक्लै बस्न सजिलो छैन । कोहि सन्गै भयो भने अलि कति साहारा हुन्छ। आलो पालो सफा गर्न मिल्छ। अनि आगो बालेर दुख सुख का कुर हरु गर्न मिल्छ ।
येता तिर को गा उ घर मा बस्ने महिला हरु को जिवन सहर बजार मा बस्ने महिला हरु को जस्तो छैन। पुरुश हरुले गर्ने सबै महिला लऐ गर्न छुट दिये एको हुदैन। अलि अलि परिवर्तन त छ र आश छ कि हाम्रो छोरि हरु ला इ पनि छोरा हरु सरह ब्यवहार हुन्छ कुनै दिन भनेर। अहिले त छोरि हरु पनि स्कुल जान थालेका छन। म त्यस्मै खुसि छु । आसा च कि उनि हरु पनि ठुलो ठुलो काम गर्न सकुन, मैले गर्न नसकेको कुर हरु गर्न सकुन ।
ग्रिहिणि नै भएर मेरो जिवन बित्यो ।मेरो परिवारको छोराछोरिको र गाइ बख्राको। महिला ले घर ग्रिहस्ति चला उ न पर्दा सबै समस्या को सामना महिला ले नै गर्नु पर्ने हुन्छ । बुडाबुडि हरु देखि लियेर छोरा छोरि को सुरक्षा को जिम्मा पनि हाम्रो टा उ को मा आ इ पर्छ। लोग्ने मान्छे हरु त सधै घर मा कह हुन्छन र ? कहिले कामको लागि बिदेस गएका हुन्छन। कोहि येति कै आफ्नै ताल मा हुन्छन। काम नगर्ने लोग्ने मान्छे भयो भने त अर्थिक भार पनि त महिला ने नै भोग्नु पर्छ। आफ्नो परिवार ला इ बचा ई राख्न सबै कुरा महिला आफै्ले ब्यवस्था गर्नु पर्छ ।
यो कारण हरुले गर्दा हाम्रो स्वास्थ मा नराम्रो असर परिरहेको छ । झिन्गा हरुले कितणु लिएर आ उ छ न, हाम्रो भाडाकुडा हरु मा बस्छन अनि हामि बिवस भयेर त्यै ख़ान्छौ।
मेरो होटल मा आ उ ने पा उ ना हरु बिरामि भये भने ?त त्यो म चा ह दिन। आएका सबैलाइ राम्रो र स्वास्थकर खाना खुवाउने मेरो कोसिस हुन्छ तर जब सम्म मान्छेहरुको सोचमा परिवर्तन आउदैन र उनिहरुले वतावरण र प्रक्रितिको बारेम बुझ्दैनन तब सम्म म जस्तो साना व्यवसाय गर्ने हरुले दुख भोग्नु पर्छ।
हाम्रो अर्को ठुलो समस्या भनेको यो माटो को दल दल हो। हामिलाइ हिड्नै गारो छ । अनि यो पानि कतै जाने ठाउ नभएकाले यहा घरबाट निस्किने फोहोर पनि मिसिन्छ। यो हिलो कहिले काहि घु्डा घु्डा सम्म आ उ छ अनि हामिले झिन्गा हरु आफैनै घरमा ल्याइरहेका हुन्छौ । यदि यो ठा उ म पा इ प हरु लगाएर पानि निकास गर्ने व्यवस्था हुने थियो भने हाम्रो जिवन सजिलो हुन्थ्यो र हामि हाम्रो परिवार स्वस्थ छन भनेर निर्धक हुने थियौ।
