By Our Correspondent

Bajura, Mar. 8: Several women of Bajura are ecstatic over the prospect of earning daily wages at their own home turf instead of relocating to India for employment opportunities. With no scope for work, many women usually accompanied their husbands across the border for foreign employment.

In order to provide for daily needs as well as to pay for their children’s education, most men earn their living as security guards in India while women take up housekeeper roles or at times even end up at brothels. But the hardworking females of Bajura are enjoying some moments of respite from travelling abroad thanks to the Prime Minister Self-Employment Programme’s road building and drinking water projects, which has been offering temporary labour-intensive employment.

According to Bhana Karki, a local from Badimalika Municipality-1, there used to be a huge dearth of jobs in Bajura. “But now the circumstances have significantly changed. The Prime Minister Self-Employment Programme is offering women opportunities to make a living by contributing to the construction project.

Although the employment is for no more than three months, it has helped in shifting burdens from our shoulders,” said Karki. She said that the programme is further accessible to the destitute, dalits, indigenous communities, differently abled and, of course, to women. As per Ram Bahadur Karki, ward chairman of Badimalika Municipality-1, the Municipality has seen great exodus of both men and women in the past.

“Ever since the local government has started implementing various programmes in the village, emigration has declined with many locals working together for the development of the village,” he added.

Though equal number of men and women applied for Prime Minister Self-Employment Programme, more women have been selected than men.

After many years, women are very happy for being able to work in the village.According to Ward Chairperson Karki, the daily wage rate used to be Rs. 700 per day. But, currently, the rate has been brought down to Rs. 500.