“Dashain is not the same as it was before. Six months after the earthquake, there are so many people still living in 15-18 tents in my neighbourhood. If people don’t have a house, how will they enjoy the festival? They feel embarrassed to welcome their relatives into a tent that they share with three other families. On the first day of Dashain, I stood in the petrol line with my bike from 4 am to 11 pm for five litres of petrol. This is a testing time for us, but it has made me realise we need to be independent, take ownership, assess what we have, and make the most of the local resources.”
Photo: Namita Rao