It has been possible from the efforts of various governmental bodies, non-government organizations, social workers and their own.
The ethnic group has only 13 families in Makawanpur district. Each of the family in the group has a pond for fishery and there is a ghatta (water mill) in the whole settlement. There is also a small grocery shop in the settlement now.
The government provides each of the member, a sum of Rs. 1,000 as the social security allowance.
The stability of the Bankariya people was ensured after the place was provided to them for 40 years through the cabinet meeting during the former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai´s tenure after his one-night-stay in the settlement situated in the forest area of the Parsa Wildlife Reserve, to take stock of their experiences and their difficulties.
The people just used to manage food for around five months and that they would survive just from the income received through labour, and eating wild fruits and roots.
The Bankariya women would spend their time in fisheries as the Manahari Development Organization managed financial and technical support for this profession. They are happy and hope for their further economic prosperity from the occupation.
However, you would not find Bankariya men in the settlement during the day, as they get busy grazing the cattle.
"We had to face various difficulties for two square meals a day, 10 years ago, as we did not have fixed place for settlement, but it has been normal of late," said Maya Bankariya.
Maya has started a grocery shop saving her security allowance and the amount of money she received from the former Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai.
She sends her children to school and manages family expenses from the income she earns from the grocery.
She herself claimed that her living standard has been improved once she started the grocery shop.Besides this, Handikhola VDC in cooperation with the District Development Committee has constructed a biogas plant in each house so that they do not have to cut trees for firewood. This has helped them make their life more comfortable.
Each of the family saves Rs. 10 monthly in Bankariya Saving Group and Rs. 50 in the Small Farmers Saving Group, said Kanchha Bankariya.
Related story
Nepali Congress for economic prosperity
_20191016190559.jpg)
