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RELATED THEMES agriculture economics social relationships water OTHER LOCAL THEMES BACKGROUND |
community activities
The increase in migration for work has also affected patterns of communal activity, and several recent interviews talk of the need to hire waged labour rather than being able to rely on mutual exchange. But clearly, when they can, villagers still work together, within and between communities: "We are 12-15 households living at top of the landslide on both sides. But when we seek help to clean the pond, every house from other villages also sends a person for one day to assist us" (Nepal 22). One woman (Nepal 24), now living in Kathmandu, contrasts the way people help each other in the villages with the "competitive, I-will-earn-more-than-you type of friends" she has in the city. "In the village they take turns [to help each other] - one day one person's work, another day someone else's - doing turn by turn they go around happily." quotes about community activities"The system of parma in farming is when the family cannot manage all the work and we pay others to do the job. In other places the wages is about 50 rupees but in our village we give only 20 rupees, or 1 pathi of food grain. If you have work but the others don't, then we can pay back the parma later also. Like we can finish our work and sometimes when they need it, I go and work for them."
Jay Singh, M/55, Nepal 13 "People never quarrelled or fought while constructing ponds. Whenever we felt the need.... the community got together and built the pond....Whoever wanted to build a pond would provide the land. Once the pond was constructed, you couldn't say his, mine, etc." "If people work in groups it helps everybody otherwise the life is very hard here." "In the old days, people used to clean the ponds. But, today, not everyone joins hands. One pond is still being maintained somehow. With water available from taps these days, people couldn't care less about the ponds. [While] cleaning the pond they took their share of sediment...and dumped it in their fields as manure. There would be competition to get this clayey mud [as it] was better than the present-day chemical fertilisers. Everyone looks for easy jobs these days. Who will go to carry that muck and mud? Now, with the introduction of chemical fertilisers, nobody cares for the rich sediment from the ponds." "In our village, sometimes neighbours become sick and are not able to help in time, at that time villagers will help them they will cultivate crops in his field and he will pay for their help when he becomes well. We have an understanding between us. In this kind of case, we call the meeting. it is a good system. Sometimes I have to face more problems myself. At that time I need help, I would not be able to do my work by myself. Then my neighbours will decide to help me. If they do not help me I will be ruined. So this is a good system. When the time comes I will also help them. We have a good cooperation between us." |
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quotes about community activities
A tradition of reciprocal labour provision exists among farmers, along with newer forms of mutual support including village credit schemes. One narrator emphasises the importance of mutual help in the fields and of village meetings where individual needs are discussed and decisions made about providing support: 
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Summary
