Rowan Butler, a former INF Communications worker, recently toured part of INF’s work in Bajura District. He reflects on the physical difficulties INF staff face and the fruit of their labours.
“Maato, maato, dhunga dhunga,” Krishna said to me. “And ukaalo, oraalo” he added as he described the narrow paths he and other INF staff daily traverse in Bajura District in Nepal’s north-west. This translates to “dirt, dirt, stones, stones” and “steep up, steep down“. It was an accurate description I agreed as I trudged behind him. Far below us was the Karnali River, cutting its way through the mountainous land as it zigzagged towards the Ganges plain. The peaks above were snow-capped after a storm two nights before. Spectacular country but it took real effort to move about in.
Krishna and other INF staff members introduced me to many people who have been helped by the Mountain Livelihood Project. Some now have kitchen gardens, many with greenhouses made from clear plastic sheeting, and there are concrete water tanks provided by INF to hold and distribute water for the gardens, often on the otherwise barren ground. The produce is eaten by the family, sold, or shared with members of their self-help group that INF Community Mobilisers and other staff have established. Some group members have taken income generation loans and opened small shops or were breeding goats or other animals. Many now have smokeless stoves in their houses instead of open fires.
Schooling support has been given by INF to some students I met, who otherwise would not have been able to get an education and one boy had been given help after he broke his knee. INF has also provided equipment and infrastructure for a number of health posts, supplying things such as birthing chairs, beds, sterilising equipment, shelving, cupboards, scales, toilets and incinerators.
One group has established an apple farm along with a government department, high up on a slope at the edge of a forest. In three to five years their investment of hard work should see them reap the benefits. A crop of wheat was sprouting amongst the young trees, making the most of the ground in the meantime.
I was impressed with the Community Mobiliser staff who walk alone through their areas, visiting a dozen self-help groups every month, encouraging and guiding them as they go about solving their problems. It is a difficult working life, away from family and friends, and is worthy of recognition as they labour on the front line of INF’s community development work.