The girls are among dozens of students attracted to income generating skill training provided by the government in local level. Following massive destruction of houses and infrastructures during the Gorkha earthquake, the government had introduced skill based trainings to produce skilled human resources. Even though anyone is eligible to participate in this training provided by the District Small Industries and Textile Development Committee (DSITDC), youths have dominated the training sessions.
From Sarita and Samjhana's school alone, 20 students have just completed the training that lasted for one and half month. According to them, the skill would help them not only to fix wires at home, but also has potentials to give them job in future.
"We are studying in 11th grade. At the same time, we are getting this training. We can generate income through this," said Samjhana. She added that she was also interested in acquiring electrician training because of the recurrent electricity related problems that her family faces. "With this training, along with the small problems at my home, I will be able to solve serious problems related to electricity at home," she added.
Sarita Shahi, who always heard from elders that 'certain things are just boys' cup of tea', now states that wiring is certainly not one of them. "We are always made to accept that girls are just good for domestic chores. But, to learn something you need nothing but interest and willpower," stated Shahi who is proud of herself to have been trained. "You don't need to be a boy to learn skills. And when skill is in hand, you don't' have to starve, you get a job to feed yourself and family," she added.
Bishnu Thakuri, Bibek Shahi and Laxman BK are other students from the school who are also quite happy about the wiring training. "20 students from our school had applied for the training and we are glad that we were selected," Sarita informed. "Along with us, there were many other trainees at the training learning these important skills," she added.
According to Samjhana, education alone does not guarantee job these days. Vocation skill is, in fact, a must to make one feel secured, she said. "Even though we are in 11th grade, we are not sure about getting a job with the education we are getting at school. But when we are trained in something like this, our worries subside," she stated. "Youths have swarmed here because they love to learn skills, she asserted.
Another group of youths have been training for plumbing. Training for both wiring and plumbing is for seven weeks. Apart from students, returnees from foreign employment have also shown participated in these trainings. Bhim Bahadur Tamang, who had returned home after serving as a security guard in Qatar for a year, said that he was happy to take the training. "In Quatar I had to work without break for 36 hours. And even after such hard work, the pay was not reasonable. We Nepalis are treated as anything there," he said adding. "If we learn such income generating skills at home, we can easily deploy them for generating income at our own home. We won't be forced to go abroad leaving our family and home," he said adding that there is only misery abroad.
Prem Bahadur Khatri, whose has been learning plumbing, shared similar experience. Narrating horrible stories of the times when he used to work in the Gulf, Khatri urged youths to try their best for finding employment or starting a business within the country. "If we could make a living here, we should make it. It's the best thing to do," he said.
Along with students and gulf returned, the training also appealed to youths who were preparing to head out for foreign employment. Umesh Achhami, also an 11th grader, was set to leave for Qatar for job. However, his enrollment in the training has given him confidence that he could do something within the country. "I was going to go. But now with the plumbing training, I am confident that I can earn a living here itself," he said. "I am pretty sure that I can earn sufficient for myself by working hard in my own place," he asserted.
Forty three locals of Dhimikuwan, Panchbhai Chautara, Sanobhati, Gairaban, Aapchaur, Syauli, Tinpiple, Chakratirtha, Satbise, Jethak and Gairiguan among other areas of Rainas Municipality have participated in the training.
Chief of DSITDC, Narayan Prasad Gautam informed that 43 individuals were provided plumbing and house wiring training and added that all of them were happy to receive it. "Local youths and other participants liked the trainings. They have expressed happiness and confidence to earn living using the set of skills they have acquired from the training," he said.
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