Ghana Shyam Khadka

Remittance from foreign countries has always been a major source of money for development work in the country.

Myagdi district is one where remittance has come handy in carrying out development work.

Prem Baruwal of Ghar, who is working in Qatar for the last four years, donated Rs 25,000 to run a college through a Mahayagya. Many like Prem who are working in Gulf countries contribute to development work in villages of the district.

Around a dozen community schools, including the Muktimarga Higher Secondary School at Ghar, Mangala Higher Secondary School at Babiyachaur, Muktidham Secondary School (MSS) at Rakhu, Janapriya Secondary School at Darbang, Jamunakharka Secondary School at Athunge and Shikha Secondary School, held Mahayagyas. The colleges collected between Rs 8 million and Rs 15 million each from the religious gatherings. The amount was then merged with money sent by migrant workers for the schools and used for higher-level education development.

Chairman of the MSS management committee Debendra Bahadur KC said a youth from almost every household in the villages are in foreign countries and remittance sent by them is of great help in running the schools. “Besides, they have donated computers and other materials to the schools,” he said.  Damaged in a fire some nine years ago, Sikha Higher Secondary School not only got physical infrastructure again, but it has also been upgraded with monetary help from youths working in Gulf countries.

Apart from this, temples and roads have been constructed through the remittance money. According to data at the Myagdi branches of banks and financial institutions, more than Rs 65 million is collected through remittance from Gulf countries in the district every year. It is estimated that more than 80 percent people depend on foreign employment.

Hospital building for patients’ relatives

Myagdi: A building for patients’ attendants has been constructed at the Myagdi District Hospital with monetary help from Nepali migrants working in Bahrain. The Myagdi Rescue Committee constructed the four-room building at a cost of Rs 700,000. The building has two kitchens and two rooms for females and males with eight beds in one room. “Earlier, people had been facing problems in the lack of a separate building for patients’ relatives. We constructed the building to ease the problem,” said committee chairman Ghorakh Ramjali. “We either used to stay in a hotel and pay extra or were forced to sleep on the floor earlier. However, such problems have become a thing of the past,” said Keshar Karki of Ghar VDC, whose father has been admitted in the hospital for asthma problems.

Workers help people buy electricity meters

Pokhara: Every household in Kaski’s Thumkodanda VDC-2 boasts of electricity service, thanks to youths working in Qatar who donated money to purchase electricity meters. Coordinator of the ward-level electricity consumer committee Hari Ranabhat said each household was given Rs 1,500 to purchase an electricity meter from the Rs 101,000 donated by the youths in Qatar. “The donation was of great help to us. Every youth donated up to Rs 14,000,” said Ranabhat. He said that 18 youths from the village work in Qatar.

Published on: 7 February 2012 | The Kathmandu Post