A library for ‘left-behind’ Nepali wives
Bhimdhunga:In
rural Nepal, where searching for information online or paying for expert advice
is rarely an option, this library is a first stop for female farmers daunted by
their new role — running the family farm while their husbands are away looking
for work.
“Most of the
men have migrated for money. It’s a huge problem,” said Meera Marahattha, the
“human Google” who runs the library. “But because of this male migration,
females have the opportunity to lead,” she adds.
As migration
grows around the world among families hit by disasters, conflict or shifting
weather patterns, in Nepal — and many other places — women are often left
behind in rural areas as men seek work in cities.
Or many, the
absence of men can open up opportunities to try out their own ideas, learn new
skills and gain confidence.
In Nepal,
the Tribeni community library in Bhimdhunga is one of 22 that are part of a
‘Practical Answers’ programme jointly run by READ Nepal, a literacy and
anti-poverty organisation, and Practical Action, a British charity.
Besides
providing resource books, the hubs collect queries from across the community,
log them and set about providing tailored answers to farming and other
technical challenges.
In
Bhimdhunga, the library offers a computer suite, a children’s nursery and a
women’s health section, attracting about 200 active members from the
mountainous neighbourhood.
Marahattha,
the library head, often travels house-to-house visiting farms to field
questions and train female farmers. “We have a lot of enquiries,” she says.
During the planting season, she might receive as many as 1,000 questions a
month — but on average, it is closer to 500, she said. They range from how to
treat crop diseases to how to use a computer or market goods in town.
While the
library is open to all, Marahattha has found more interest from women — in
particular
those suddenly put in charge of their households.
But there
are “some negatives too”, Marahattha admitted. Women often complain to her of
feeling overwhelmed, as if “all the responsibilities are on their head”,
looking after both land and children.
And the
shift in family dynamics, together with the disruption to family life that
accompanies migration, has led to a rise in the number of divorces, Marahattha
said. —Thomson Reuters Foundation
Source |
Daily News Analysis | 29th March 2018
Regards
Mr. Pralhad Jadhav
Master of Library & Information Science (NET
Qualified)
Senior Manager @ Knowledge Repository
Khaitan & Co
Mobile @ 9665911593
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