“I was only 16 when I got married and moved here to Badkhi. After I got acquainted with the environment here, I came to realize that some of the problems from my parental home had followed me here too. Especially the scarcity of water.
At the time when I moved here, there was only 1 tap for the entire village. I remember waiting all night and sometimes all day for my turn to fill my bucket. This went on for some time until an organization heard our plea and witnessed our problem with water scarcity, and installed a system with 17 taps for the 200 households.
But just because there were more taps now, didn’t mean there was going to be more water. The 17 taps did ease our days as we did not have to queue up behind the same tap but it was still far from a tap for a household. That was the necessity. Sometimes, the water got so scarce that if we used the water for washing, we would not have water for drinking.
The landslides did not spare lives, let alone those weak pipes. Sometimes the water source would be obliterated and then water stopped altogether. And then we have to trudge to the river with our pots and jerrycans. But during winter it was not possible.
All of this impacted women the most. They were the ones who ran the household – cooking, cleaning and washing. All of these activities require water. Have you seen men carry water from the rivers? No, it is only women. Imagine what they have to endure for their family. How they put their own safety and health at risk so that they can prepare food when asked and keep the containers full. On top of all that they are expected to follow all kinds of practices especially during their menstruation.
Back in the day, girls and women had to leave the house and stay inside the Chau hut – a small shed where women stayed in isolation during their periods. These Chau’s were cruel spaces – cold, dark and many times around animals. And this isolation lasted for 7 days. And the scarcity of water prevented women from maintaining their hygiene. Lack of water also meant lack of food. The 7 days were the worst days of the month for the women. I know and I see that there are some women who still suffer from practicing Chaupadi.
Things have gradually changed as people are becoming more aware and are not so afraid to question practices that are detrimental to their health and safety. Women are also becoming educated and have started demanding their rights. It was difficult to break the cycle of thought that has lasted for generations but it is happening.
I am a woman health volunteer myself. I had also contributed in raising awareness about menstrual hygiene, safety and ill-practices that come with Chaupadi. It was difficult to convince old people as they have been observing it since ages. But we can see a gradual change in society. We have a small temple at home but there’s no restrictions in the way it used to be in the past. Besides, we also have modern-day pads and other home-made cloths and not just the loin cloth. The problem that is evident now, is the disposing of the sanitary items that we use. No matter how safe we dispose of it there is a risk of it reaching the river. Disposing of the sanitary waste into the river should stop but people still do it.”
– Naina Shahi, Badkhi, Hima, Jumla
“म विहे गरेर बड्खी आउँदा १६ वर्षकी मात्रै थिएँ । यहाँको नयाँ वातावरणसँग घुलमिल हुँदै गर्दा मेरो माइतीमा भएका केही समस्याहरूले मलाई यता पनि पछ्याइरहेको जस्तो लाग्यो । विशेषगरी यो पानीको अभावले मलाई कतै गए पनि छोडेन ।
मेरो विहे भएर यहाँ आउँदा पुरै गाउँमा एउटा मात्रै धारो थियो । एक गाग्री पानी भर्न रातभरी अनि कहिलेकाहीँ त दिनभरी पालो कुर्न पर्थ्यो । त्यसरी नै सबै चलिरहेको थियो । अनि एक साल एउटा संस्थाले हाम्रो दुखेसो सुनेर, हाम्रा समस्याहरू देखेर करिब २०० घरधुरीको लागि १७ वटा धाराहरू बनाइदियो ।
तर धेरै धाराहरू बन्दैमा धेरै पानी झर्ने त होइन रहेछ । १७ वटा धारा बनेपछि केही सहज त भएकै हो । कम्तिमा एउटै धाराको वरिपरी झुम्मिने दिन त गएको थियो । तर पानीको धारो हाम्रो घरबाट अझै पनि टाढा नै थियो । पानीको यस्तो अभाव थियो कि हामीले लुगा धुन खोज्यौँ भने पिउनको लागि पानी नै पुग्थेन ।
त्यसमाथि पहिरो पनि गइरहने । पहिरोले मान्छेलाई त छोड्थेन, जाबो पाइपको के कुरो? कहिलेकाहीँ त मुहान समेत पुरिदिन्थ्यो । अनि त कति दिनसम्म पानी नै नआउने । त्यसपछि त गाग्री र जर्किन लिएर खोलातिर जान बाध्य भइन्थ्यो । जाडो महिनामा त्यो पनि असम्भव नै थियो ।
यसले गर्दा महिलाहरूलाई सबैभन्दा गाह्रो हुन्थ्यो । घर चलाउने उनीहरू नै हुन् । भात पकाउने, लुगा धुने, भाँडा माझ्ने,.. सबै हामीहरूले नै त गर्ने हो । यो सबै काम गर्न पानी चाहिन्छ । कुनै लोग्ने मान्छेले खोलाबाट पानी बोकेको देख्नुभएको छ? छैन नि है? पानी बोक्ने त छोरी मान्छेले मात्रै हो । आफै कल्पना गर्नुस्, पानीको समस्याले गर्दा हामी महिलाहरूले कति दुःख पाएका छौँ होला । आफु र आफ्नो स्वास्थ्यको सुरक्षालाई जोखिममा राखेर जति बेला भन्यो, उति नै बेला हामीले कसरी भात पकाइरहेका छौँ होला? अनि कसरी गाग्रीभरी पानी राखिदिएकाछौँ होला? अनि त्यसमाथि नछुने भएको बेलामा चाहिने-नचाहिने चलन पनि मानिदिनुपरेको छ ।
नछुने भएको बेलामा पहिले पहिले त सबै महिलाहरूले घर छोडेर छाउपडी बार्नुपर्थ्यो । छाउगोठमा अँध्यारो र चिसो त हुन्थ्यो नै । धेरैजसो त गाईभैँसीसँग सुत्नुपर्थ्यो । यसरी ७ दिनसम्म बार्नुपर्थ्यो । झन् पानीको अभावले त्यसरी छाउ बार्ने महिलाहरू सरसफाइ गर्नबाट बञ्चित हुन्थे । पानी नभएपछि त खाना पनि कहाँ पाइन्थ्यो र? हरेक महिलाहरूले प्रत्येक महिना यसरी सात दिन कसरी कटाउने होला भनेर पिर मान्नुपर्थ्यो । अझै पनि गाउँमा केही महिलाहरूले छाउपडी बार्ने गरेको देखेको छु । तिनीहरूले कस्तो महशुस गर्छन् भन्ने मलाई राम्ररी थाहा छ।
यस्ता कुराहरू पनि विस्तारै परिवर्तन हुँदैछन् । मानिसहरूमा पहिलेभन्दा अहिले अलि चेतना आएको छ । आफ्नो स्वास्थ्य र सुरक्षालाई नराम्रो गर्ने प्रथाहरूको विरुद्ध प्रश्न गर्न डराउँदैनन् । छोरीहरू पनि शिक्षित हुँदैछन् । आफ्नो अधिकार माग्न थालेकाछन् । पुस्तौँपुस्ता देखि चल्दै आएको चलन तोड्न गाह्रै हुन्छ । अझै पनि अलिअलि चलिरहेकै छ ।
म आफै महिला स्वास्थ्य स्वयंसेविका हुँ । महिनावारी भएको बेला सरसफाइ गर्नुपर्छ, छाउपडी भनेको रुढिवादी कुरा हो भनेर जनचेतना फैलाउन मैले पनि भूमिका खेलेको छु । बर्षौँदेखि चल्दै आएको चलन भएकाले बुढाबुढी मान्छेलाई कुरा बुझाउन गाह्रो नै छ । तर समाजमा विस्तारै परिवर्तन आएको हामी देख्न सक्छौँ । हाम्रो घरमा पनि देउताथान छ तर म त महिनावारी हुँदा पनि घरमै बस्छु । पहिलेको जस्तो रोकतोक छैन । अनि हामीसँग अहिले आधुनिक प्याड पनि छ । त्यसको अलावा घरमै कपडा सिलाएर घरेलु प्याड पनि बनाउँछौँ । पहिलेजस्तो टालो मात्रै हाल्नुपर्दैन । अहिलेको समस्या भनेको चाहिँ त्यस्ता समाग्रीहरू प्रयोग गरेपछि कसरी र कहाँ फाल्ने भन्ने नै हो । जति सुरक्षित ठाउँमा फाले पनि त्यो अन्ततः खोलामा नै जाने जोखिम हुन्छ । खोलामा त्यस्ता प्याडहरू फालिनु हुन्न त भन्छौँ तर केही मानिसहरू त्यसै गर्छन् ।”
– नैना साही, बड्खी, हिमा
