Despite the hurdles they face and the limitations they have to live under, seven energetic and determined youth from Mechinagar, currently studying in Himalayan English Academy in Dhulabari, Jhapa, speak about their aspirations and the major problems faced by most of the youth from this region. [break]
Participants:
1. Shankar Dahal, Class 11, Commerce
2. Padam bhandari, Class 11, Commerce
3. Sudikshya Nirola, Class 11, Humanities
4. Kanchan Bhattarai, Class 11, Commerce
5. Jaya Sharma, Class 11, Commerce
6. Asma Gautam, Class 11, Humanities
7. Khem Kumar Gurung, Class 11, Commerce
In terms of further education and career, what are your plans?
Shankar: I’m not very positive about going to work abroad because it’s a short-term thing. Plus, if we work hard in Nepal itselfhere, we’ll end up doing well. I plan to complete my Bachelors here itself and want to be a banker or a journalist.
Padam: Looking at the booming of cooperatives and banks, I want to work in the banking sector. But, I also wish I could be a detective.
Khem: I want to become a Chartered Accountant but can’t afford studying it. I’ll study Bachelors in Business Studies. I don’t have plans to go elsewhere to study. I think, environment wise, it’s best to stay in your own home home and study.
Sudikshya: I think I’ll study plus two again because now I want to move to commerce. I’ve realized that people don’t value humanities and arts education much and think low of those who opt for those fields.
Asma: I disagree. I think that studying humanities of or arts is also a good option. There’s ample scope in NGOs and INGOs these days. I want to go to Kathmandu and study journalism.
Jaya: If my parents can afford it, I want to study nursing.
Kanchan: I’ve always been interested in the banking sector ever since I was a child. Pursuing my further education depends on what my family says but I want to be employed in a bank and will surely get a job after my plus twos.
L to R: Padam Bhandari, Kanchan Bhattarai, Jaya Sharma, Asma Gautam, Sudikshya Nirola, Shankar Dahal and Khem Kumar Gurung.
Young people, especially in their teen ages, have a lot going on. Personally, who do you share your problems with and confide in?
Asma: My mom. She’s very understanding.
Padam: When it comes to talking about problems, I do it with my friends.
Jaya: Generally, parents don’t understand our problems and instead put they tend to put the blame on us. That’s why it’s uncomfortable to share problems with parents. I talk to my friends.
Kanchan: I share with my mom. If there’s something that I feel awkward sharing about, with mom, I tell my friends.
Shankar: I’m mostly unable to give much time to my friends. But my parents are very supportive and I go to them with my problems.
What are some of the major problems and issues faced by youth in Mechinagar?
Shankar: Most youth here, don’t continue their studies after their SLC or after high school. They fall for the attractive but most often misleading advertisements about foreign employment that come out in the media. I come from rural Jhapa and some of the youth there also drop out of school, opting to work as tractor-drivers. They’re more into making easy money rather than getting good education and have the mentality that education is not very important.
Khem: Drug addiction is also very common here. We have an open border here, and there’s a lot of illegal drug trade that goes on. Drugs are easily accessible to youth, most of whom are living without proper guardians as their parents are working overseas. They have a lot of money in hand and they to spend it and they spend it on drugs and alcohol.
Sudikshya: For girls, child marriage is another problem. Most girls get married before the age of 18.
Kanchan: Early age marriage is something that I’ve also faced. I’m married as well. Most girls here are pressurized to marry right after they reach 17 or 18 years of age because there’s a belief that if girls cross a certain age, they won’t get be desirable for marriage. Apart from this, kidnapping, rape and sex trade are also evils here.
What do you think should be done to tackle these problems?
Asma: When it comes to addressing these problems, not much has been done. I think we need to go into depth and tackle the root of the problems. When it comes to drug abuse, there’s no proper investigation in terms of who are the ones who are selling these drugs.
Jaya: There’re rules but their implementations are absent. Being strict about rule violations is a way to solve youth problems such as drug abuse and road accidents.
Kanchan: Proper communication and awareness are keys. They say when you educate a mother, you educate the whole family. I think mothers should be made aware about such issues faced by the youth currently. A good way to do this is through Nepali TV serials, since they watch them a lot.
Khem: Power talks here and there are no rule of law. People who are linked to various politicians always get away with the wrongs that they do. This should be dealt with.
Asma: There’s a lot of corruption be it in the educational field, or elsewhere. This is making things worse.
Shankar: Job opportunities should be provided so that the youth aren’t frustrated and are not looking to make easy money.
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