“The flowers started blooming from late December,” she said, adding, “We’ve been selling them to travelers since then.” She collects the flowers from nearby jungles and sells a bunch for Rs 10. Her income affords her to buy pencils, exercise books and copies and even rice and lentils.[break]
“We don’t have money to buy pencils and copies when the flowers are not in bloom,” said Pampha, who belongs to the Chepang community, “Now we have a fistful of money.”
She is accompanied by her sister, Sabina, who studies in class two. Sabina explains, “One of us goes to the jungle to pick up the flowers and the other will sell them.”
Another class two student, Nisha Praja says that her family members are happy with the income she brings in from selling flowers. “We eat ‘makai ko dhedo’ at other times,” she said, “But now we can buy rice.” Nisha says that she earns Rs 100, and sometimes even Rs 200, per day.
Sudip Waiwa studies in class two in a government school at Bhimfedi. He states that he has also been selling the flowers during the season. “This flower has provided us with pencil and copies,” he said, “We are delighted when the flowers start blooming in the jungles.”
The children call out ‘lali gurans, lali gurans’ to the passing people on motorcycles and buses. “Some people stop and buy the flowers,” said Pampha, “And some just pass us by.” But she doesn’t feel sad when people don’t buy her flowers. “There are so many people passing by that someone or another will definitely buy them,” she laughs, “We finish selling the flowers we pick by the time it’s evening.”
She says they feel happier when people buy their flowers instead of just handing them some money. “When some people try and hand over the money without buying any flowers, we feel bad,” said Sabina, “But when they buy our flowers we feel elated.”
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