Looking for alternatives

Though many people have been working to help the earthquake victims, a long term solution to the problem is still needed.

67 year old Kamal Bahadur Tamang of Nibhu Gaun in Sindhupalchowk used to earn his living by farming in their ancestral land. The income source for his family of 10 was mainly agriculture. Besides farming, Tamang's family also raised several animals like goats to further aid their family revenue. Things were not very good, but it was enough for them – the kids could go to school, they had just enough food and clothes. However, after the earthquake, things have changed for his family.

The food crop that they had been stocking since last year was destroyed, and four of their goats died in the subsequent quakes. This has left them in an economically weak state. "Our houses have been destroyed by the earthquake, and along with that, our source of income is compromised as well. It will be very difficult for us to manage things now," says Tamang.

Although relief operations in the area conducted by many independent individuals have been serving as a temporary boon, it will still be difficult to make ends meet in the coming days. Their relatives have problems of their own, and they can't rely on relief operations to take care of them all the time. Although the government had plans to provide seed to the farmers as a part of relief, they haven't received enough, and the seedlings they did get had defects.

"We have been hard hit by the situation. At first, everything we had got damaged in the quake, and now, we've come to know that the rice seeds are bad. If anything, at least the weather could have provided a bit of respite in this situation, but no, the entire village is in the danger of being swept away," he says.

Many families in the disaster wrought places have been suffering from this serious problem, as they struggle to make ends meet while desperately looking for alternatives to earn a living. As many people have been affected by it, there is a widespread fear that the country will suffer from a setback from the progress it had been making in the last few years.

Though many people have been working to help the earthquake victims the best they can, a long term solution to the problem is still needed. One of the possible solutions to the disaster-struck area for the sake of the people living there could be cash-for-work approach, where the vulnerable section of the public gets temporary employment in projects executed for the benefit of the people.

As many people from the tourism industry have fallen victim to this natural disaster, organizations like Trekking Agencies' Association Nepal (TAAN) have been trying to convince the government to use the workers of the industry for this approach. This will give the workers a much-needed opportunity to earn a living and stay employed when the tourism industry is struggling to recover. The TAAN officials say that the government had a positive response to their request, but it is yet to be seen from when the works will actually start.

However, cash-for-work is not a new approach. Food for Peace/Community Resilience Program (SABAL) is a program that works to help the poor families in their income generation. Organization like Alliance for Social Mobilization Pvt. Ltd. has been working with people in various districts like Okhaldhunga, Ramechhap, etc, deploying them in the task of salvaging debris. It's an important part of the program as it helps in managing the structures that can still be recovered and rehabilitated, and makes way for the temporary shelters and leaves space for make-shift schools. This approach has helped many families in income generation.

"We had been implementing this program several months before the earthquake. But the earthquake boosted its importance even more and our team has been overlooking the job in many districts. They plan to take it to other district like Makwanpur as well," says an official with the organization.

Assistant spokesperson and under secretary of the finance ministry, Rajendra Paudel says that the ministry has been following the government's Integrated Action Plan for Post-Earthquakes Response and Recovery, and have been working accordingly to it. However, their roles in helping the affected seek alternative source of income is not a part of their job description. "Each ministry has been assigned a different task, and we have been doing our best to follow the instructions. But to actually help them look for other options when it comes to income generation does not exactly fall under our jurisdiction," he says.

However, there are still a few who choose to fight the situation and make do with whatever little there is. Ganesh Sapkota is a principal of one of the many schools destroyed in Sindhupalchowk. After the initial chaos, the relief pouring in from many individuals and donors has helped in building a temporary school. Besides looking after the school, he also contributes in farming, trying to bring in some extra cash in these hard times. The shelter they are living in is in danger of being swept away, and he doesn't have much time to focus on anything else. Worries about a steady source of income are gnawing at him day and night, and the possibility of landslides during the monsoon adds to his woes.

"My house is already damaged and I have no time to think about other things now. I still have to manage the school, and think of ways to take care of my family. We expected help from the authorities, but they haven't been doing all that much. So I'm running this school, trying to find ways to make the seed work, and do what I can. I don't mind help from the government, but it's all on us, at least for the time being," he says.

However, it seems likely that in the coming days he will be left to fend for himself. As many houses and other structures have been destroyed by the quake, the first thing that has been occupying people is to clear the waste in a bid to try to get things back to normal. Many are expecting the government agencies or the non-governmental bodies help them figure out an alternative source of income as they struggle to make their lives take its old course which, in itself, is a herculean task.

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