Struggle of Single Women in Rebuilding her Home

Sabita Wosti

& Kageshwori Manahara Mobile Team

Social Development Officer, Baliyo Ghar

Mrs. Sabitri Darji in front of her temporary shelter

Often, the progress of reconstruction is measured with counting the number of households rebuild, but few go in depth that how the beneficiaries came to rebuild their houses. Were they able to build their house properly and easily? No, definitely there are many hurdles and problems they had to face. Specifically, the households with low income, single women headed family, vulnerable groups have gone through miseries to rebuild their dream house.

They have faced problems like; land registration, lack of money, rate increment of construction materials, tedious process in receiving first, second and third tranches of government grant and lack of trained and local masons for reconstruction. Due to these reasons earthquake affected people are unable to reconstruct their house in time or if they are having their house rebuilt, their stories hits the heart. Mrs. Sabitri Darji, resident of Kageshwori Manahara Municipality ward -1 Gagalfedi is one of them.
Mrs. Darji, a single woman aged 50, lives in temporary shelter at Saraswoti Tole of Gagalfedi with her 3 children.  She involves herself stitching the clothes of villagers to survive and better life for her children. Her misfortune, in time interval of 5 years she coped with 3 consequent mishaps in her family. 5 years ago her husband died, later her daughter’s hand got fractured and at the very beginning of 2072 B.S. she lost her house in Gorkha Earthquake.

Mrs. Sabitri with her daughters in front of her under construction home

Regardless of many problems she is the first beneficiaries in Gagalfedi, who is constructing loadbearing house and again went through difficulties. When she started the excavation she asked her neighbor to help her put mud inside of underground but they denied, no one came to help her. Neither had she received loan citing she couldn't pay back. Being disheartened she took a loan from woman’s group and relatives. The price hike in construction materials made her more deplorable. With the tears in her eyes she says, "Now the house is about to complete, it's time to pay all money to contractor and also shopkeeper who provided construction materials but I don’t have enough money to pay."

She shares, a strong house meant a lot for her family. “I really need a house for my children, if I could complete my house my dream would be fulfilled. But I often remember of my loan which makes me cry. "

Mrs. Sabitri Darji as a participant of orientation program organized under Baliyo Ghar Program

She is happy to receive technical support from the very beginning she started her house rebuilt.  "Had not I received the support of Baliyo Ghar I wouldn't be encouraged to build a house, I wouldn't be able to follow government guidelines and couldn't receive grants. Loan would be paid back. Now my son shouldn't have to suffer like me," she expressed.