Kolti Community: With Great Hope

Kolti Community: With Great Hope

Once, my college colleague had said to me years ago that if one hadn't been far western part of Nepal, s/he is not considered being seen real Nepal and it is much said statement in Nepalese context too. I was really interested to visit far western part of Nepal but my interest was not able to materialize yet. It was already late October 08, all the friends were busy at office and field, when my office director asked to visit to far western part as to mobilize community for community library construction at the area of Kolti, Bajura, then after, I started dreaming on situation of these areas. Different kind of scenes figured out as slideshow in front of me. For the same I planned to go there with my colleagues. My office colleague Puspa reserved air tickets from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj then to Kolti.


Kolti is a small valley located at Bajura district in far western region of Nepal. It can be accessible through rare flight; most probably one or two flights in a week from Nepaljung or Surkhet. And the flight can be sure if GOD granted to be clear the the weather of the area. If not, you would get an opportunity to have mountain flight by hugging into clouds and kissing to rocky enormous barren hill by challenging yourself to face and overcome the uncertain future. While flying in the sky rather you will get extreme pleasure in viewing things under you. The houses at the rural area are seemed like stars in the sky. After half an hour flight you will get near High Mountain in front of you. At that time you may get terrified that you are going to have big kiss with that mountain but the skillful pilot will take you to a small valley by turning at left. Soon you will get the land at Kolti Airport. Before landing the plane, without getting off you, a long time pending passengers and their relatives will cordon you as tigers do to its prey. Even without getting off the plane engine you have to get off and other passengers who have been there for a long time will rush in the plane and the plane instantly back to its destination.

On the other way you will reach to the area being Achham district passing in 2 days and one night in bus and two full days trekking.

Kolti is the business center of 11 more VDCs of the district and other area or adjoining districts Mugu, Kalikot and Humla. The number of international and national government organizations have made focus area of their works. But the socio-economic change of the area rarely seems to the rural people of the area.

People in Kolti area are found different than the people other area of Nepal. Even though it has deep impact of acculturation due to migration and mobility of outsiders from the different parts of Nepal to the area. Only one but obligatory means of seldom available transportation of plane has made the livelihood of the area very complex. People have very limited but barren and less fertile land makes them to find out the alternative to make their life-living. During 4 days stay at Kolti, only few female are found coming out of their homes rather they used to be busy in their own home doing households chores. After the completing our assigned task at Kolti, we had two full days time to spend at Kolti area in waiting of plane.

At the meantime along with my colleagues Deepak and Bhakta, we came out from the motel and had a look over the villages. On the way to visiting to eastern end we met two school going boys with carrying over loaded knapsack for 3 more days letting the heavy load at wall to rest along with their lean and tired body. Hardly can they communicate with us with barren throat with hoarse voice. I dared to talk with them but their pitiful conditions viz., salty smell, ragged clothes, never took bath body and stretched heavy shoes made me unspoken. I couldn't talk them anymore. Immediately their boss asked them to move forward like master does to his donkey.

Bearing in mind this event, my heart started to crumble recalling some strange scene from Kathmandu Valley. "I memorized the girls and boys wandering to their home to school and vice versa with own and public vehicles. I also remembered a unique episode while getting back in the evening to home from office near the corner of Ranibari where two youngsters in school dress with very rough speed in motorbike stopped in front of me, then got off and then boy took out two cigarettes. I could see the bright face of them with that light. I stared them pretending myself that I had lost something. After couple of cigarettes puff they started to hug very tightly then I couldn't see the forthcoming scenes. Then immediately I left the area". I compared these two episodes which I just visualized and next just I had seen in front of me. I felt very uncomfortable and unpleasant.
At the same time my friend asked me to move further. Then we moved further with heavy heart. On the way my friend Bhakta informed us about the socio-economic condition of the area and especially language used in the area. As a native Nepali speaker I considered myself a perfect user of Nepali language. But I couldn't understand the language used in that area perfectly. Bhakta used to translate into Common Nepali. So we could able to understand them. On the way we were lured with an activity. Almost fifteens girls with rhythm were busy in rice processing work under the open sky in a very unique way. We stopped and stayed nearby them. But they covered their face with their kerchief almost left the place. Then Bhakta asked to go on in their work in their own language then they did same. We asked them whether they went to school or not. We got reply from them that they had been but left school for long time before but could not break a single word. We moved further leaving them a big smile rather we received a pointing down their head in return. On the way we found two middle aged women quarrelling each other. They were doing that in the case one of their ox grazed mustard plant of next. When we appeared there they stopped. We could able to understand their body language but not the verbal.

We also visited to a village where we found people working their own household chores and children playing at near by ground. I was lured to children and started to talk with them. I could hardly understand them moreover I enjoyed with them by playing and teasing.

Then we got back to our bed where we were hospitalized by a local NGO i.e., Human Resource Center after supper as usual. It was getting cold. I arranged to sleep and lay down on the bed. My friend Deepak started to sketch some drawing with dim light and Bhakta left to meet his older friends. I couldn't asleep then I turned on part to another still I couldn't sleep. I was expecting sound sleep but not able to getting it. Actually we were deprived from television, radio, landline telephone and cell phone. And internet! It was no more possible. I was disconnected with my family and even the colleagues of office for 4-5 days. I felt gloomy. At the time of leaving my home to field, my younger kid had a fever and cough. Two more kids worried about their exam and my spouse was nearly out of pocket. I promised them to get back as soon as possible but it was not happening due to the uncertain flight.

Expecting my sound sleep, I talked with Deepak about children that found at day time. I argued him that READ has initiated the apparently significant initiation of Community Library at the area. Deepak shook his head for acceptance and focused to his own work. I visualized a beautiful picture of children and other people stepping towards into library and choosing the different materials and books at children library, high mobility at reading section, people at audio video section with high hope and enthusiasm. I really became happy and chuckle many times. I also remembered to those personalities who have contributed to establish library. I did salute them for being that happened. Oh, I was just visualizing actually dreaming. In fact, not only dream, READ has made it happen in various part of Asia especially in Nepal.

Next morning, I woke up early as usual days expecting plane arrival. We had already reserved for two tickets on the basis of plane arrival. We heard siren of plane arriving from Jumla in TOUCH flight. Whole Kolti bazzar woke up with high mobility. We instantly fixed up back pack and reached at airport. Immediately SITA Air came there and we rushed into plane. Then we flew saying bye to Kolti and back soon. When plane took higher and higher speed, "I focused on very panic and unpleasant scene. I had heard but not seen. Over sixties women injured by bear while collecting firewood at near by forest. She was badly injured at bear attack and nearly lost her life". But villagers brought her at Kolti two days ago then sending to Nepalgunj for further treatment after primary treatment at local health post. Her panic cry touched me very hurting. After the plane landed then she was carried to hospital.

On the way back to Kathmandu, I remembered all the things happened at Kolti. I also recall the sayings of college colleague years back. I really touched by scene observed the dropped out children, women attacked by bear carrying for treatment, awaiting travelers watching in the sky for plane, long queue for single call to their relatives really reflected real Nepal. The whole circumstances were teasing to those leaders and parties who committed for their hand to mouth, quite good schooling and health checkup but perhaps now they might have busy in various workshops, seminars at star hotel for the far western people. But I found Kolti is waiting for bright future with great hope.