Money earned through digging roads has let Ms Indramaya and her family lead a happy & better life. Now she owns a house equipped with lights and bullocks for livelihoods.

Ms Indramaya, 35 years of age from Oyakjung VDC of Terhathum belonged to a very poor family of 5. She just inherited a bullock, few utensils and a ‘ropani’ of land from her in-laws when she separated from the joint family in the year 2059. She lived in a temporary shelter made up of leaves and mud and had a hard time maintaining it especially during the monsoon.

Her husband, Devman who used to work as a traditional blacksmith could hardly manage to provide two course of meal to his family. The only bullock they inherited had to be sold out to clear the debts and due to which it was difficult to till the land. So they bought a pair of bullock for NRs 10,000 with a hope to repay somehow but this too caused them trouble and hence they had to sell off their bullocks for NRs 15,000 with a profit of NRs 5,000.

In the meantime Rural Access Programme was launched in Terhathum where the family moved to work for the Basantpur-Myanglung feeder road section. They saved NRs 15,000 in a year and when the road finished they returned to their original place to Oyakjung just to find their old house in a dilapidated state. Then again they built another thatched hut spending their saving of NRs 10,000, which was again too small for the extended family. Her husband had to work for others to earn their living and life was not getting any better. However, when RAP2 was launched the family got engaged in building roads. Ms Indramaya worked for Fulbari Road Building Group-A, where as her son Mr Bheshraj B.K. got engaged in Fulbari RBG-B. Her husband Mr Deuman B.K. started helping out RBGs getting their tools sharpen using the hand blower.

By this mean together they earned NRs 87,000 by digging roads. Out of this Ms Indramaya’s contribution was NRs 41,000. Excluding other expenses they were able to save up to NRs 70,000. With NRs 25,000 they built a concrete house and also bought a pair of bullock for NRs 30,000. The family is now hopeful that they can sustain themselves. In Ms Indramaya’s word, “ initially we were hesitant to have guests but now we expect them every now and then. Owning a house is a matter of pride and dignity. Now I can live happily in my own house”.

Indramaya’s house is also electrically equipped with light for which she borrowed NRs 10,000 from the cooperative in Oyakjung VDC of which she is a member. She has a saving of NRs 4,200 in this cooperative.

Tools sharpening work has become a secondary business for their family. Giving continuity to this work they have been able to repay the loan of NRs 2,500, which they borrowed to buy the hand blower.

Now Indramaya aims to clear her debt of NRs 10,000 and buy ginger rhizomes for NRs 5,000 through road digging. She says, “ We can have money and celebrate festivals through digging roads”.