Wednesday, March 28, 2018

A library for ‘left-behind’ Nepali wives


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 

Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978
Mobile @ 9665911593

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