Students sell firewood to manage household expenses

By Our Correspondent,Humla, June 30: Students of Kailash Secondary School in Simkot Rural Municipality-7 are compelled to collect and sell firewood to manage their studies and household expenses.  Due to the poor economic conditions, students are compelled to collect firewood from nearby jungles and sell the collected firewood in Simkot, the district headquarters.

Pushkal BK, studying in Grade 8, said that the income from selling the firewood covers his household and educational expenses. BK has been selling firewood for the past four years. He said that he sells firewood for at least 150 days a year.

Similarly, Sabindra Shahi, a seventh grader at the same school, said that he collects firewood after school and carries it to Simkot early in the morning. After selling the firewood, he returns home to attend school. He said he feels tired throughout the day and cannot concentrate on his studies.

Sahi also highlighted the necessity of carrying firewood to manage household and educational expenses due to the poor economic condition of his family. "This is a compulsion, not a choice, as without it, they cannot sustain their household and continue their education. Firewood is sold for Rs. 500 per load in Simkot," said Sahi. Mej Bahadur Budha, the headmaster of the school, said that most of the students at his school have to sell firewood to manage their household expenses. He said that around 150 students of his school carry and sell firewood for at least 150 days a year.

Students find it hard to focus on their studious after the tedious job of collecting, carrying and selling the firewood, and this has adversely affected their studies, said Budha.

Apart from Saturdays, students who sustain themselves by carrying firewood must reach Simkot early in the morning and return home by 9:30 am to attend school.