Rising through derogatory remarks

June 22, 2019 17:15 pm

“I just wanted to prove to the people of my community where I came from; a place where I witnessed women violence, child marriage and girls trafficking.

Struggle- Life’s other name

February 21, 2019 21:30 pm

When she was in seventh grade, she got involved with handicraft and knitting sweater. This helped her fund her own education. Every weekend she weaved carpets. She has been training people to knit sweaters knitting when she was in the seventh grade.

KATHMANDU, Dec 27:  “I am an IA (Intermediate in Arts similar to +2 level) graduate. After completing my degree, I did not want to work in private organizations. Sadly, I could not make it to government job either. Maybe I didn’t try hard enough.

It is a dark room. Under the light of two white bulbs, he has been trying to squeeze oil from mustard seeds. Jhyantu Shrestha, 40, has been working in a Mustard factory at Jhochhen for 22 years now.  He is the only employee there. “I lost my father when I was 7 years old.

Souls of my city: Being a Radiologist

December 20, 2018 11:55 am

“As a radiologist, interacting with different patience has been a part of my everyday life. I enjoy doing my work. It gives me joy. As I had a growing interest in watching X rays of people, I decided to become a radiologist. When I was working at Kanti hospital, there were only a handful of radiologists then.

“What is life to you?” This is probably the most-often asked question. “All my life, I went through pain and sorrow. It’s still the same,” said Prem Lal Shrestha, 68.

Palmo Ghising, 43, lives in Dimi Pokhari, Ramechap. She runs a small shop and hotel. Palmo got married at the age of 15. She has two sons and a daughter who is living in the city. She used to stay in Kathmandu.  Now, she has returned to her birthplace.

Souls of my city: Sincerity is the key

November 18, 2018 12:50 pm

Twice a month, there runs a haat bazaar (open market) in Galpa village of Ramechhap. Farmers from different villages go there to sell meat, vegetables, fruits and other items. Many of them are old people. One such farmer is 62-year-old Kaji Man Tamang.

Yamuna Giri, 88, and Jyanu Giri, 82, (They changed their names after becoming sannyasini) have been living together as sannyasinis (hindu nuns) at the Pashupatinath Ashram for over eight years.

Souls of my city: Proud to be a farmer

November 3, 2018 11:32 am

Astha Maya Laawat is a 58-year-old farmer from Jhor, Tokha in Kathmandu. At the age of nine, she lost her father and her family faced a financial crisis which eventually left her without formal education.

Needless to say, traffic police don’t have the liberty to back off from their duty. 28-year-old Chitwan resident Bharat Pariyar has been diligently serving in the police force since 2009.

Souls of my city: Life is work

October 2, 2018 09:00 am

Ram Lal Shrestha came to Kathmandu from his hometown of Palung, Makawanpur, in search of work in 2029 BS. Before coming here, he used to help his uncle on the farm.

Souls of my city: Safe switch to security

September 30, 2018 10:10 am

Jashman Tamang is a 27-year-old Saudi Arabia returnee. He spent six years working as a scaffolder in the Saudi desert heat. Sharing his experiences, Tamang stated, “We had to work on high-rise buildings.

Souls of my city: Career before love

September 23, 2018 09:45 am

Sunita and Rajesh Rijal have been married for sixteen years. Sunita was only seventeen when they tied the knot.

Souls of my city: 70 years of togetherness

September 16, 2018 08:33 am

Krishna Maharjan was 12, and his wife Asha Maya Maharjan 8 years old when the couple took their matrimonial vows.

Ginari Prasad Gautam is an easily recognizable character at Sundhara, Kathmandu. For the past 10 years, he has been operating his weighing scale on a corner near the bustling bus stand at the heart of the capital city.

Bijay Lama drives a bus along the Kathmandu-Rasuwa route. At just 15, he had to leave his home after getting into a fight with his friends.  Away from home, he worked as a bus conductor.

48-year-old Mahi Narayan Ram is a cobbler. His roadside stall, at Sundhara, consists of a mat, shoe soles, laces, shoe polish, and a wooden box. Ram is originally from Saptari and has been working in the capital since 1985.

Dhan Maya Gautam, 66, spends her day selling vegetables and listening to the radio. She is not familiar with the songs the stations air.

One can find 78-year-old Pancha Maya Moktan in the Naya Bazar crossroad of Kirtipur, all year round. It’s been 12 years since she started operating her roadside shop amid the daily hustle and bustle of the bus stand.

Jamuna Magar, 46, is a new face in Kathmandu. She’s been living in the capital with her eldest son for only four months. She says she was married at just 14 and gave birth to her first child two years later. Magar says, “I lost many children following pregnancy-related complications.

Souls of My City: The cycle man

August 2, 2018 10:43 am

Scavengers -- better known as ‘Kawadi walas' -- are known for their vexatious yells. They earn their living selling scrap metal, glass bottles or paper. Sanjay Jaiswal, 40, is one such scavenger.

Gamveer Dhoj Joshi, 65, owns a money change business unit on the ground floor of the Laxmi -Narayan temple at Basantapur. He took over the job from his father, who used to occupy the same spot. He says, “Coins have always fascinated me because they carry history along with them. Furthermore, you can also learn a lot by just looking at their shape and structure.”

Souls of My City: Under one roof

July 29, 2018 10:11 am

Prabina Kaldang, 25, has been married for two years. She and her husband have a six-month-old baby. Her husband is a railing worker.

Souls of My City: Memorable slap

July 26, 2018 10:52 am

Sometime during the evening last week, I spotted two young men around Hanuman Dhokha . 19-year-old Manish Shrestha, an art student, was preparing his canvas, and 20-year-old Kamal Sherpa, a photography student, was clicking photos of his surroundings.

Souls of my city

July 24, 2018 12:35 pm

Making family happy

Souls of My City: Better together

July 22, 2018 11:06 am

Gopal and Binda Nepali, of Naubise – Dhading, have spent the better part of their conjugal life selling Taparis near Kasthamandap. They have been running their shop in a narrow lane of Basantapur, which leads to Kastamandap, for the past 16 years.

Souls of my city

July 19, 2018 11:07 am

Strong and determined

Souls of my city

July 17, 2018 11:30 am

A happy family of four

Tilak Tharu was an ardent football player as a child. But at 19, Tharu was left immobile with a broken spine after an injury,. “My father blames football for my disability. He says it’s the reason that I am on a wheelchair” stated the 25-year-old Tharu.

Souls of my city

July 12, 2018 11:30 am

Pedaling rickshaw on the path to happiness

Souls of my city

July 8, 2018 09:00 am

Carrying hopes from Jumla

Souls of my city

July 5, 2018 08:44 am

Story of Introvert

Souls of my city

July 3, 2018 09:40 am

Affinity for cooking and traveling

Souls of my city

June 26, 2018 09:30 am

The occupation that made me able

In spite of his young age, Gajendra Baitha is yet to relish the privileges of a young boy. At an early age of just eight years, he was handed with toys and candies to seek profit, to make ends meet for his family.

Currently, Tika Ram lives in Narayanghat with his spouse. “My marriage turned into the happiest story of my life. My wife helps me overcome every obstacle, and every night our family gets together for dinner.

I never thought, I would get married to my school days crush. He was one year senior to me,” remembers Devi Basnet, a 27-year-old security guard in Patan. Blushing, she mentioned how her brother-in-law used to tease her, calling her ‘bhauju’ (sister-in-law) even before the marriage.

Keshari Maharjan One can find 70-year-old Keshari Maharjan working at Kriti Buddha Bihar.  When she started working there some 40 years back, she was full of energy, but at present, her pace has slowed down. Currently, she’s limited only to easier tasks.

Babu Kaji Maharjan of Balkumari, Patan, started as a farmer to make ends meet. Later, he jumped ship to the Ministry of Finance to work as a truck driver.  Meanwhile, he also lent hands for the renovations of Patan Durbar Square in his prime. “I have seen a lot of changes in the people. What matters to me the most is when my grandchildren call their parents mommy and daddy instead of maa and baa,” he stated.

“People of my age are seen traveling, continuing their studies and I am here working and having fun in my own world. I enjoy working, looking around and talking with different people.”

Souls of my city: Friends indeed

June 7, 2018 09:03 am

Sandip Tandukar (right), and Chewant Gurung are two 25-year-olds who have shared the bond of friendship since their school days. Though they parted ways after graduating from high school, their passion for cooking brought them together again.

Originally from Morang, 53-year-old Jeevan Bastola owns a garment stall in the street at Haugal, Patan. Having a brief experience as a teacher in Solukhumbu, Bastola remembers wandering around Kathmandu in hopes of finding a job.

Ganga Chitrakar, an elderly curio shop owner recalled her love story as she spoke to us on a sunny Friday afternoon. She remembered meeting her husband in Dharan, her hometown. He was a driver then and was required to travel a lot. Chitrakar blushed when she was taken back to her hay days.

Kanhaiya Mandal is a new face in Kathmandu. Here, he spends most of his time assisting his brother in his paan stall. The Dhanusha resident often recalls memories of his hometown, especially the moments he spent with his friends back home. Nonetheless, he’s also aware of his responsibilities towards his family. “I am 20 years old now.

Souls of My City: Mending Soles

May 29, 2018 12:00 pm

“What do you expect from life? Should it be food to feed you while you’re hungry, home to stay, clothes to wear and work to do? I am happy with what I have. I have been mending shoes since 1994.

Amar Bahadur Adhikari was born in Ramechhap. Life was quite normal there. His family members were farmers. In 2058 BS they moved to Dhading and rented land from locals for farming.

I still remember…it was the time of the Maoist insurgency. I was on my way to Kalikot from India with my friends. The army opened fire and two gunshots hit my leg. Four of my friends were killed on the spot.

Thupten Faten has been a monk for over 40 years now, at Samdeling Gumba, which is one of the oldest monasteries in Boudha. At eight years old Faten was instructed by his parents to become a monk and so he became one.

Have you ever listened to the stories about the struggle of your grandmother? Grandparents’ stories can be quite interesting and lesson worthy. Kanchhi, who was born in Bhaktapur and now lives at Jhochhen, Kathmandu, is a great soul.