KATHMANDU, Dec 19: Sunil Kumar Mohato, 28, a resident of Barahathawa, Sarlahi, returned to Nepal after working in Malaysia for eight years. He is leaving home on Wednesday to go to Malaysia again for five years with a dream of building his own house.

“No one wants to leave their family and go abroad, but there is no favorable environment to sustain and earn a good income in the country,” he said, “The range of the minimum salary, from Rs 8,000 to Rs 15,000, is spent on bus fare and lunch, which is not enough to survive in Nepal. That is the reason why I am compelled to go abroad.”

He said that he had cleared all the loans that he had taken from relatives to go abroad. He mentioned that he bought 11 Kathas of land in his village and started banana farming. He stated that he lived in a small hut. “I am leaving home to turn this small hut into my dream house and secure my family's future.” 

Mahato said that it is not his wish to go abroad but he is compelled because of the financial condition of his family.

 “In Terai, people fall ill more frequently than in other regions. There is no access to quality free health facilities. At the same time, the cost of medication is very high in private hospitals,” he said, “In Nepal, there is a lack of employment opportunities and good governance and there is high political instability. In times of high prices for goods, facilities, and services, the earnings aren’t sufficient to sustain a livelihood and meet the basic needs of a family for which choosing abroad is a compulsion.”

Mohato is only a representative example of Nepali youths who are going abroad for foreign employment, carrying similar dreams of building their dream homes and securing their families’ lives. Each day more than 2,500 youths are flying abroad in search of employment opportunities. 

A large number of young people have gone abroad because there are not enough job opportunities in the country.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), in the last fiscal year 2022/23, 771,327 youths went abroad for foreign employment. This data includes people receiving new and renewed work permissions.

In FY 2021/22, as many as 637,133 youths reached foreign lands for foreign employment, which increased by 134,214 in FY 2022/23.

Even those who have returned from their destination country after working for a long period are returning there again because they did not get an opportunity in Nepal.

Mohato informed Republica that along with him more than 40 Nepali youths are working in the same company, and their dreams are similar. He expressed that they are all there due to the lack of employment opportunities in the country.

“I want to live in my own country with my family happily without worrying about going abroad again. I want to turn my small hut into my dream house. I want to see leaders who serve the country with tactfulness and actions, maintaining good governance,” he said. 

He said that he is worried about the current scenario in Nepal.

He added, “I want my country to develop like Malaysia so that no one has to go abroad for employment.” 

He said that he wanted to urge the government to implement policies and provide facilities to ensure safety and guarantee the creation of jobs in Nepal. 

Mohato said, “If the government can create an environment to create employment opportunities in Nepal, I will return to Nepal and live with my family in my dream house happily.” 

 
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