Mukta Kamaiya-Discovering True Freedom

By Puja Singh, Heifer Nepal Communication & Networking Officer

In many parts of Nepal, poor and uneducated families have been working the land for generations. The irony of the legacy of these peasants called “Kamaiya” is that the land they put their sweat and blood into was not and would never be theirs. Toiling from sun-up to sun-down entitled them to two measly meals a day and nothing more, these people are basically modern day slaves. Born into this form of slavery, many have served their landlords to their deaths and borne more slaves to serve them in the future. The government of Nepal abolished the Kamaiya practice in July 2000, deeming it illegal. They became freed bonded laborers, “mukta-kamaiya’s”; free to live and work as they pleased. Though without education, land and capital their freedom has brought more challenges than happiness.

Sitapati Chaudhary, is 45 and a mukta-kamaiya from Banke. When she joined Heifer’s project in January 2008, she was landless and in search of a stable income. Sitapati and her husband had to struggle as daily-wage laborers to support their four children. Unable to make ends meet, they resorted to taking loans at an exorbitant interest rate from money lenders. Her freedom from bonded labor did not free her from the endless cycle of poverty.

Then Sitapati joined a Heifer initiated group of women who were seeking to help each other rise from poverty., Sitapati’s Santoshi Women’s Group began to save money together monthly and generated additional income through creative ways like working for an hourly wage on farms. Her group received Heifer’s core trainings -Cornerstones, Self Help Group Management, Improved Animal Management, Gender Justice and Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS awareness trainings.

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Through the women’s group Sitapti became the recipient of two goats from Heifer that were pregnant and soon filled her pens with kids. With a stable income from her farm and animals, Sitapati is now able to send all her four children to school. Sitapati took a loan of 30,000 rupees from the women’s group savings at a low interest rate, added some of her family’s savings and bought 3 kattha land (1/4 acre) where she grows vegetables, keeps her goats and two pigs. With her newly acquired skills in caring for livestock and organic vegetable farming, Sitapati’s small venture has flourished. She once sold 12 piglets at one time, and now makes a steady monthly income by selling vegetables. Sitapati has already paid back the loan she took from the group’s savings. She has also installed a hand pump to irrigate the farm. Her group formed a pass-on group, and gave them two goats each. Sitapati exceeded her pass-on commitment by passing on a pig in addition to a goat to a deprived family. “If I had not received help, I would still be in grinding poverty. Realizing this, I wanted to help someone in need,” says Sita. When asked about her plans, she says “I will buy 2 kattha land this year and expand my vegetable farm.”

With a little help and skill this mukta-kamaiya and many more like her are doing what their ancestors could never do – they are discovering the true meaning of freedom.