This month we follow our Community Mobiliser, Ranju Neupane Dhungel (28) through her day.
Ranju lives in Jhapa, near the Indian border in the far east of Nepal. This region is known as the ‘Terai’, flat, fertile plains perched 600 metres above sea level. Read on as Ranju describes her busy daily life as a working woman in Nepal.
Hi, I am Ranju and I am 28 years old. I live in Jhapa with my husband’s parents. My husband, Mohan is working overseas at the moment. Our house is in the centre of a village.
A busy morning
Most mornings I wake up at 4:30am and have a shower. Then, I drink a cup of tea before working in the garden. I then plan my working day at school, cook food for the family and eat.
A restful cup of tea at the start of the day.
Ranju tending to her garden in the morning before work.
I work as a Community Mobiliser in Saraswati Secondary School in Mechinagar near Jhapa. It takes me 10 minutes walk or 5 minutes by bike to get to work. I normally work from 9.45am to 3pm from Sunday to Thursday and have a half day on Friday.
When I get home in the afternoon, I wash my hands and feet and drink tea. I then help my mother-in-law with the afternoon chores, tending the cows and goats and watering the garden.
Sometimes, I drink a natural remedy made of black sesame seeds which is very good for your health.
We make our own ghee too. Ghee, is a kind of clarified butter that is popular in Nepal. To make it, we pour milk into a long bamboo container called a Tolung. Then we churn it and the milk turns to butter.
Health-giving black sesame seed tea.
Making ghee with a tolung, a long bamboo churn.
Ranju with her home-made ghee, ready to use in cooking.
The family meal
Every day, I prepare the evening meal for the whole family. We eat around 5:30pm in winter and 7pm in summer. There are 5 family members in my household but my husband isn't here right now.
Getting water from the outdoor pump.
Ranju’s kitchen sink.
Preparing the evening meal.
Ranju serving her family members.
Dal bhat - a staple meal in Nepal of rice, dal (lentils) and vegetable curry. Ranju often serves yoghurt as an accompaniment.
In the evening
I am studying for a Master's degree in Education which I should complete next year. Most evenings, I study from 8:30 to 10:00pm. When I am not studying, I sometimes watch TV in the evening. I like to watch Discovery Channel, Nepali reality shows (singing and dancing competitions) and comedy serials. I usually go to bed around 10:30pm.
Reading for her university studies on her bed, Ranju hopes to complete her Masters degree in Education next year.
The weekend
At the weekends, I do the family laundry, clean the house and work on our land.
Working in our fields.
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