Four poor families in Pathari get homes

By Hari Prasad Koirala,Urlabari, Mar. 20: Dhanmaya Rai, a 65-year-old, and other locals of Pathari Sanischare Municipality-10 were delighted after receiving new homes. The Das Morangi Community Forest Consumer Group built houses for four families of the municipality under the poverty alleviation programme in the current fiscal year.

It built houses for Nirmala Gurung, a 36-year-old single woman, and a 65-year-old Rai. Additionally, houses built for Dilip Shrestha and Nagendra Paswan (Bana) are under construction. The consumer group had constructed the houses for poor and needy people. 

Rai had moved to the municipality from Bjojpur and bought 7 dhurs of land with all she had. However, due to her poor economic condition, she could not build a house on her own. She was living in a small hut made from bamboo and old tin sheets which leaked during rains. She said, "I cannot sleep peacefully during the rainy season, and the approaching monsoon made me worried."

She is overwhelmed with happiness upon receiving the house. She is living alone as her children have migrated to the hills and her husband has passed away. Nonetheless, her difficulties do not end here since she is still struggling for subsistence.

Like Rai, Gurung also expressed happiness upon receiving a new house.

She earns her livelihood by running a canteen at the office of the Das Morangi Community Forest. After the death of her husband, she had to look after her two children alone. 

However, with the support of local friends, she started the canteen business. She who never imagined building a house due to financial constraints said, "I feel relieved to have a house without spending a penny." 

Similarly, financially deprived consumers like Shrestha and Paswan are also getting their houses constructed. The consumer group selected four families for house construction and provided 86 cubic metres of wood. 

Madan Pokhrel, Chairman of the consumer group, said that they had allocated 348 cubic metres of wood to construct the houses. He said that the total expenses for house construction were managed through the poverty alleviation programme.