Bhramarpura village has sent more men abroad for foreign labor than any other village in Mahottari district. This is significant because Mahottari district is the second largest source of migrant workers in Nepal. Bhramarpura could arguably have sent the most number of migrant workers of any village in Nepal. Due to labor migration, the demographics and lifestyle of this village has changed dramatically. On May 2016, The Guardian had published a news report titled, “Where the streets have no men: the Nepalese town where women hold sway“. It wrote the following:
Years of migration, fuelled by hope of providing a better life for their families, have drained Bhramarpura of working-age fathers, brothers and sons. Practically every household has at least one male family member working overseas, leaving boys and elderly men as the few remaining males in a town run by women.
On average, 1430 Nepalis leave the country daily for foreign labor, mostly for the Middle East region. They bring back highly valued foreign currency but what happens to those who choose to remain in the village? Some of the photographs below capture what an ordinary afternoon looks like in this village.
Tobacco vendor. Although cigarettes are available, many people still buy tobacco leaves from a street vendor directly.
Grains Vendor. Many people buy their grains in village’s market which convenes two or three times a week. This is similar to Farmer’s Market in the US.
Vegetable Vendor. A vegetable seller awaits a customer while his grandson stretches. Most of the vegetables sold at this market are grown locally. This village was known for growing large quantities of vegetables before gaining fame as the village that exports men for foreign labor.
Fruits Seller. Kuleshar Khatun (the lady on the left) sells fruits to support her family. Her sons work abroad but she still has unpaid loans. One of her sons has been working in Saudi Arabia since eight years.
Along with fresh vegetables, one can find fried food at the market in this village. Eating rice puffs known as ‘murhi’ with jhilli is a popular snack.
Gulshan Khatun sells fruits to support her family. Three of her sons have gone abroad to work. Her son Akhtar had gone to Qatar for work but returned prematurely because his company shut down. He had borrowed a loan of Rs. 200,000 to pay the recruiter which is yet to be paid off.
Selling junk food, fried in oil. The yellow stuff, known as ‘fofa’ is really popular among children.
Nagina Khatun operates a small shop in this village to support herself. She has four sons but none of them support her.
Nagina Khatun is deeply hurt by the fact that she raised her sons with so much love but when they they started earning money, they forgot about her. One of her son is still working abroad. When he returns to Nepal during his vacation, he does not come see her.
Nagina Khatun and her modest village shop
Nagina Khatun is a favorite among children in her village because she sells what they like: candies and chips.
Selling potatoes and onions
A local politician in Bhramarpura village, Mahottari, Nepal.
Although this village receives more remittance than any other, its roads and infrastructure remain undeveloped, similar to other villages in Nepal.
Preparing samosas by filling spiced potato mixes inside a dough wrap. This is the main restaurant in this village where our team stopped for evening snacks before returning home. Samosas and rasbhari (a form of sweet milk dessert) were delicious.
Preparing samosas by frying them in oil.
Selling eggplants. Most vendors use a scale made locally using wood, rope, and a tin or aluminum container. Instead of buying standardized but expensive metallic weights, they use a rock or brick of equivalent weight, to save on cost.
All trades occur using cash. Credit or debit cards are not accepted.
A colorful display of vegetables for sale. Most of the vegetables sold at this market are grown locally. This village was known for growing large quantities of vegetables before gaining fame as the village that exports men for foreign labor.
Some vendors also sell fruits on a mobile cart. This allows them to transport it easily back to their home at the end of the day and also to markets in other villages.
This work is part of a student media grant by the Center on Conflict and Development at Texas A&M University. I would like to thank The Center on Conflict and Development at Texas A&M University (ConDev, condev.org) for its funding and support. ConDev seeks to improve the effectiveness of development programs and policies for conflict-affected and fragile countries through multidisciplinary research, education and development extension.
I would also like to sincerely thank my friends Mohammed Reeyaz Safi and Rupesh Shah for extending their support during my field trip to Bhramarpura village.
All of the photos in this piece are original and have not been edited or enhanced before publication.
Puru Shah is the founder of Madhesi Youth. For Madhesi Youth, he primarily writes about human rights issues and articles with an emphasis on data analysis & data visualization. His goal is to promote justice, equality, sustainable development, and youth empowerment in Nepal.
Connect with Puru Shah on Twitter (@digitalsubway)
