May 24, 2007

The best part of working in filed based work is visiting field. Today I got chance to visit Changu VDC of Bhaktapur. My aim was to meet micro credit group there and interact with them. I went to Social Action Volunteer’s (SAV) of Godawari Alumnae Association which was executing the micro credit project. With the mobile health team of SAV, altogether 7 of us headed to our destination Changu, Bhaktapur.

The road was bumpy and very narrow. The sun was very scorching and temperature was rapidly rising. Because of UEFA Champion’s League final previous night, I hadn’t got chance to sleep well. I was feeling heavy and scorching sun was adding spices. We faced traffic jam of Kathmandu and reached our destination at around 11 am. Mobile health team and we departed and we went to the homes of people who have success stories to tell. We reached the house of Bishnu Bahadur Budhathoki. While talking, he told that because of credit from micro credit group and SAV, he started poultry farming and now this has been major source of income for them.

Rama Budhathoki, treasurer of the group came to meet us. She shared that their micro credit group consisting around 25 mothers have saved so far more than lakh (hundred thousand rupees). She told that because of loan she took from group, she has been able to look after her family. Her husband is unemployed and all income from poultry farming and buffalo rearing, they are managing all the expenses. She was really proud she could do this. We also met chairperson of the credit group Bindu Budhathoki. She told us that because fo credit group, all the villagers are able to continue their daily lives. Before this, she told that her family wasn’t economically well established. She has to go to take loan form other person but hardly people used to give them loan. Now after getting loan from group, her economic status has improved a lot. She now lends money to others.

We learnt that the credit group has formed mother’s group and eradicate the alcohol from their village. They have even stopped men from playing cards and renovated the temple. They have been actively campaigning against domestic violence. Seeing their success, many other mother’s group have been formed in other areas. Even youth group has been formed and they too have started their own micro credit group.

After this we headed to another home to collect the loan. There was another scene going on. The only son of that house had eloped with a girl. The problem was she was already married and mother of 2 girls. The boy was just 18 years old and studying at class 12. Finally after 3 months of futile search, family was able to locate them and bring them back. His mother nearly wept while describing what happened. We consoled her. I felt really good to see the personal touch among the credit group members and SAV.

SAV’s micro credit project is phasing out. Now SAV is only collecting loan it has given to community. People were really sad about it. They told us that they worked together for nearly 8 years and now SAV is leaving them. They wanted SAV to continue it’s project.

Meeting them and talking with them made me forgot my restlessness, scorching heat. Slowly we headed back to meet mobile health team and we returned back. On the way back a thought keep hunting me, though people there were poor in resources, they are so reach in honesty and hardworking. Organizations like SAV should promote it’s activities but why it’s taking out it’s project.