Recent Stories The latest stories from SoN, featuring soulful tales of thousands of people from the low plains to the high mountains of Nepal. “I do not have good childhood memories. My mom died when I was in class seven. I could not study ...“I was born in Okhaldhunga, a place located in the eastern hills of Nepal. I was 2 years old when ...“I cannot keep up with my son. He is just 18 months old and he keeps me running. Despite his ...“For some reason, my eldest sister lived with our maternal family. We were five sisters and I was the second. ...“The days of the past are long gone. The ways of the past are long gone. Punishments that we would ...“He says he wants to be a police officer and he is just 4 years old. I do not know ...“I would always snatch away things from his hand. He would hold a book, I’d snatch it away. If he ...“I was 8 years old when my dad passed away. My mom was probably 21 then. During Dashain, every kid ...“One day he came to me crying and said, “Please take care of me also. I am your baby too.” ...“It is communal living here. The neighbour’s kids come here and my grandchildren go there. They roam around the community ...“Good intentions are not enough when you are raising children. I realized this very late into my motherhood. What really ...“Living in a joint family where there are different personalities who assert different opinions, the child can sometimes feel overwhelmed. ...“When I was 6 years old, my sister of 8 years became very ill. After that life changed for her ...“Father did not discriminate between a son and a daughter. He was a good man who understood that in every ...“I do not blame my parents for what they did to me when I was a toddler. They did not ...“Our community has changed. There was a time when we all were obsessed with the housework that we had no ...“There was a time when I was not in the right state of mind. My husband had brought another wife. ...“Even today, after so many years, I remember coming 2nd in the class when I was in the 2nd grade. ...“I became a mother two years ago when I was only 19. I remember worrying every day and night. “I ...“I started journalism from Radio Swargadwari in Dang, the first community radio of western region of Nepal. I remember doing ...“I served as the chairman of Sonaha Development Society. I had taken initiatives to bring the program of Pani project ...“Although I didn’t have the luxury of having any textbooks until class 7, I was very good at studies. I ...“I am an undergraduate. I completed my bachelor’s degree three years ago. I got married here when I was in ...“Old folks share stories of how fishes were abundant here in Rakam. They were easy to catch because there was ...“I have two brothers and a sister. Because I was the youngest, everyone loved me. They loved me, and yet ...“I was very close to my mother. But 6 years ago, I lost her. It was the river that took ...“When things became difficult at home when food became scarce and worries plenty, I left for India. There I met ...“My father had a lot of expectations from me. I was a studious girl, did well in activities and could ...“Although father had accumulated a sizeable property, I had no interest in ploughing the fields. My father did not understand ...“We have always lived by the riverside, near water and sand. We panned gold in the sand and caught fish. ...“I was only 5 years old when my mother died of Asthama. I was the eldest of three daughters. One ...“Father did not send any of us girls to school. He had a reason. He had sent his eldest son ...“I love my community, neighbours and I love my family. I love my place, the rivers and hills here. That ...“35 years ago the landscape here changed. People came in from the cities to survey our Khayar trees (acacia catechu). ...“I personally have realized that at many times conservation and development do not go together. You see with the start ...“I remember my father trying to hold his tears back when he bid me farewell. Even though a very old ...“Mother had no choice but to leave home. Father’s brother would beat her. He was cruel to all of us. ...“My grandmother was a visionary woman. She would tell me about the importance of water. I wonder who gave her ...“Maybe because I don’t hesitate to speak and not afraid of what people say, my community decided to make me ...“I found out about his suffering in Riyadh only recently. He never said anything about it when we spoke because ...“Like many of the families in rural Nepal, ours also relied on agriculture for livelihood. Our father was the breadwinner ...“I had to go work in Qatar so that I could repay the loan of the tractor that father had ...“When I was growing up, I remember everyone aspired to go to India to work. Working in our village meant ...“A lot of young men like me do not want to limit themselves. We want to explore and see the ...“These hills do not have water. There are no canals or diversions to bring in water from the rivers. So ...“We are 5 sisters. When my youngest sister was 3 months old, my father left for India. Since then, my ...“My sister would put her clothes on me and take me to work. She did that because she wanted me ...“Look at her. She is nothing but skins and bones. I doubt she will be able to work” was what ...“I have the blessings of the earth. I have received a share of my land. I did not inherit it. ...“If it was not for the support I have received from my family, I would have left school a long ...“They ran out of needles for the injection, I think. So my wife who had broken her back some time ...“Grinding wheels do not sell anymore. The farmers have plotted their land and now instead of grains, there are buildings. ...“I am a woman of Indrapur, born in a house with leaking walls and wet floor. But I am a ...(Part 1/4) “I still remember the day when I left home for the first time in search of work. I ...(Part 2/4) “The factory was in Wapi. I remember I was very nervous to meet the supervisor. I was told ...(Part 3/4) “My boss’s appreciation made me work hard. Sometimes the heat would be unbearable and we would work only ...(Part 4/4) “After 20 years, I have come home to stay. I do not regret my decision of leaving home ...(Part 1/2) “From the days of my childhood, I have loved animals. But it was different for Father and Mother. ...(Part 2/2) “Soon the tradition of Kamlari and Kamaiya was abolished. What happened freed us from bonded labour but it ...“Our ancestors were bird catchers. They did this for a living. Owl, pigeons and quails were the birds they chased. ... More Stories Communities Stories from large towns to small rural communities, featuring interviews with people belonging to single ethnic group or of communities that share a common history. Laprak Barpak Saptari More Communities Series Stories of people based on thematic interviews pertinent to the issues surrounding rural Nepal. Aftermath SoluStories More Series Receive the Newsletter Like this project ?Help it stay alive & grow Never miss a storyFind & follow SON online
“I was born in Okhaldhunga, a place located in the eastern hills of Nepal. I was 2 years old when ...
“For some reason, my eldest sister lived with our maternal family. We were five sisters and I was the second. ...
“The days of the past are long gone. The ways of the past are long gone. Punishments that we would ...
“I would always snatch away things from his hand. He would hold a book, I’d snatch it away. If he ...
“I was 8 years old when my dad passed away. My mom was probably 21 then. During Dashain, every kid ...
“It is communal living here. The neighbour’s kids come here and my grandchildren go there. They roam around the community ...
“Good intentions are not enough when you are raising children. I realized this very late into my motherhood. What really ...
“Living in a joint family where there are different personalities who assert different opinions, the child can sometimes feel overwhelmed. ...
“Father did not discriminate between a son and a daughter. He was a good man who understood that in every ...
“Our community has changed. There was a time when we all were obsessed with the housework that we had no ...
“There was a time when I was not in the right state of mind. My husband had brought another wife. ...
“Even today, after so many years, I remember coming 2nd in the class when I was in the 2nd grade. ...
“I started journalism from Radio Swargadwari in Dang, the first community radio of western region of Nepal. I remember doing ...
“I served as the chairman of Sonaha Development Society. I had taken initiatives to bring the program of Pani project ...
“Although I didn’t have the luxury of having any textbooks until class 7, I was very good at studies. I ...
“I am an undergraduate. I completed my bachelor’s degree three years ago. I got married here when I was in ...
“Old folks share stories of how fishes were abundant here in Rakam. They were easy to catch because there was ...
“I have two brothers and a sister. Because I was the youngest, everyone loved me. They loved me, and yet ...
“When things became difficult at home when food became scarce and worries plenty, I left for India. There I met ...
“My father had a lot of expectations from me. I was a studious girl, did well in activities and could ...
“Although father had accumulated a sizeable property, I had no interest in ploughing the fields. My father did not understand ...
“We have always lived by the riverside, near water and sand. We panned gold in the sand and caught fish. ...
“I love my community, neighbours and I love my family. I love my place, the rivers and hills here. That ...
“35 years ago the landscape here changed. People came in from the cities to survey our Khayar trees (acacia catechu). ...
“I personally have realized that at many times conservation and development do not go together. You see with the start ...
“I remember my father trying to hold his tears back when he bid me farewell. Even though a very old ...
“Mother had no choice but to leave home. Father’s brother would beat her. He was cruel to all of us. ...
“My grandmother was a visionary woman. She would tell me about the importance of water. I wonder who gave her ...
“Maybe because I don’t hesitate to speak and not afraid of what people say, my community decided to make me ...
“I found out about his suffering in Riyadh only recently. He never said anything about it when we spoke because ...
“Like many of the families in rural Nepal, ours also relied on agriculture for livelihood. Our father was the breadwinner ...
“When I was growing up, I remember everyone aspired to go to India to work. Working in our village meant ...
“These hills do not have water. There are no canals or diversions to bring in water from the rivers. So ...
“We are 5 sisters. When my youngest sister was 3 months old, my father left for India. Since then, my ...
“They ran out of needles for the injection, I think. So my wife who had broken her back some time ...
“Grinding wheels do not sell anymore. The farmers have plotted their land and now instead of grains, there are buildings. ...
(Part 2/4) “The factory was in Wapi. I remember I was very nervous to meet the supervisor. I was told ...
(Part 3/4) “My boss’s appreciation made me work hard. Sometimes the heat would be unbearable and we would work only ...
(Part 4/4) “After 20 years, I have come home to stay. I do not regret my decision of leaving home ...
(Part 1/2) “From the days of my childhood, I have loved animals. But it was different for Father and Mother. ...
(Part 2/2) “Soon the tradition of Kamlari and Kamaiya was abolished. What happened freed us from bonded labour but it ...
“Our ancestors were bird catchers. They did this for a living. Owl, pigeons and quails were the birds they chased. ...