What does it feel like to lead a life so distant from civilization; to not have proper doors to your rooms? What does it feel like to live a life absolutely engulfed by poverty? How would you feel if you had to work all through your day in scorching sun and not have even a slice of bread to devour in your kitchen? You may not have answers to my questions but they do.
This is Mina Rishidev, a mother of three. Her first child died of pneumonia, 3 months after birth. She shows signs of severe anemia, but how would she know? Her husband is a driver she says; he left for work four days ago and hasn’t yet returned. He visits her sometimes in a week. ‘That’s a driver’s life; they are mostly on the roads. Who knows if he has another woman!’ she said as she looked down with a wry smile.
She thought she doesn't look good when she smiles.
Mina's kitchen
This is not just Mina’s story. In remote villages of Nepal there are plenty of such stories, some much grievous. Today as I walked down the lanes of Budhikhola village, I saw different faces that narrated some unspoken stories. Here are a few glimpses of their lives.
They do not have cell phones and Wi-Fi. They make pots and pans of mud to play. Yet they live.
They are diseased, they are poor and they haven’t eaten for days. Yet they live.
They do not have a bathroom and they bathe in fields. They wash their clothes in rivers and streams. They walk miles and miles and hours for water. Yet they live.
They do not have slippers on their feet, they wear their own crowns of loads they carry. Yet they live.
That's all for today.
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