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Year of Publication: 23 September 2012 | Republica
Publication Type: NEWS
Published by: CESLAM
Upendra Lamichhane
At a time when thousands of young people are migrating daily in search of work, some youths are learning skills that are proving useful in their own country. Sharing their experiences of earning their living on their own country by working hard, they advice youth not to adopt the migrating pattern and, instead, suggest that they stay back home.
“With a little hard work, it’s possible to earn here as much as one does abroad,” says Gopal Sunar, 31, a resident of Banke, Kohalpur, “Patience and skill is required for this.”
Sunar worked in India for nine years at his elder brother’s behest. His brother lives in Punjab. As soon as Sunar returned home five years ago, he received vocational training and started repairing refrigerators. “There I would earn from around Rs 900 to 3000 per month,” he shares, “Now every month I earn around Rs 15,000 here.”
“Since the earning increased, a year ago I asked my brother to return home,” he says, “Though he is settled there, he is staying here to help me in my work.” Just last week, his brother called his family there to join him in Nepal, he informs. Sunar’s elder brother, Durga Bahadur, says it makes him happy that his family can live and work in their own country. “I called him first,” says Durga, “Then he returned to work here and made me come back too.”
With a similar experience is a motorcycle workshop owner, Eshan Ali. After he failed his SLC examination three years ago, he got himself trained and says that going abroad instead of training and working here is useless.
“As my friends were preparing to go abroad and looking for visas, I started my training,” he states, “After I finished my training, I opened this shop and now I earn Rs 15,000 to 20,000 every month.” He further adds that working in one’s own country not only makes one economically sound but the happiness of being with one’s family is also there.
30-year-old Prem Kumar Bika working in New Rapti Grill Factory, located in, Kolhapur-3 also says that learning the skills and working in Nepal is better than the hassle of working abroad. “Along with education, professional skills are also necessary,” Bika says, “If put into good use, we can earn in Nepal, as much we earn abroad.”
Adopting modern techniques in the traditional family occupation of metal work, Bika has opened his own grill factory. With the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Bika was trained through a program called ‘Education for Income Generation’ and has been sharing what he has learnt with others as well. “My income has also increased and I am also providing employment to some other people as well,” he says, adding, ‘My family members are also satisfied with this work.”
Chalis Bahadur Tharu from Banke, Phattepur, who was also earlier in the Maoist People’s Liberation Army (PLA), shares that economical skills have uplifted his lifestyle. “No improvements came out of the war,” he says, “After training and working as a carpenter, my income has increased.” Bika, during his five-years in the Army, destroyed many houses and now is involved, instead, in building processes of the same. “I used to go around bombarding houses with grenades,” he recalls, “But today, hammers and saws are my equipment and I work to build houses.”
According to Regional Program Coordinator Naresh Sing Tharu, 11,500 people from the 15 districts in the Mid-Western region have received various skill-building trainings through the ‘Education for Income Generation’ program of USAID.
Published on: 23 September 2012 | Republica
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