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I am Jagat Lama from Nuwakot District, Kumari VDC-5, Nepal. I am 35 years old and I have 2 children now. Daughter is 8 years and son is getting 5 years old. Now I am living in Kathmandu Kalanki. I am living in Kathmandu since 10 years ago working as tourist guide and porter in the High Altitude Mountain. I have passed high School level education and tried to study further but because of poor economy background couldn’t more.

When I was young kids, I was really sick by chicken pox and slept 6 months continue on the Bed. My health condition was really poor (sick) and every body was calling me “Rogi boy”(very thin and unhealthy). We have 4 brothers and 2 sisters. Among them I was really unhealthy kids and my father send to me School because; I was unable to work in farm as farmer. My family economy background was really poor and very hard to maintain for food. I couldn’t pay School fee when I was studying in School. I requested to principle then he gave me free until 10 years study in School. I used to walk every day 6 hrs up on down even I was good student in the School.

I had born in Tamang Community and our society still very poor background. We didn’t have any system to send kids in School for those better lives. Luckily, I was very poor healthy and I got chance to go School.

My village situated 70 km. far by road service then one day has to climb on the Hill. Our Village is very much remote and nothing facilities in our village. Still we don’t have electricity, road service, Hospital, School for young kids and water and sanitation facilities.

When I got finished my 10 years study in my village then I tried to go for further study in some where. We didn’t have any chance to go for higher education except Kathmandu. So, I talked to go further study in Kathmandu with my family (Brothers, Father and Mum). My brothers were telling me you can’t go study in Kathmandu and we can’t send you any property for your study. When I cried a lot then my father he gave me NRS 50 in my packet.

I came to Kathmandu with this NRS.50. I paid some rupees for the transportation and finally, I had NRS 20 rupees in my packet when I arrived in Kathmandu. I tried to settle in Kathmandu some where but was very difficult. I slept few nights in temple and street. I was looking first of all some job for survive then was aims to join for further study.

I was very hard workers and always tried to do better challenges for the knowledge. Whole day, I was trying to get job around commercial city Kathmandu, every day and every day. I started as wool factory as wool fitting worker. I got salary NRS 1200 per Month for the 15 hrs duty. I worked 2 Month then I tried another better work. I worked as Restaurant dishwasher and kitchen boy. I got NRS 400 salary per Month but, there was a facility for 2 time food every day. Restaurant was in Thamel (Tourist area) and I got expose from the tourist society because, there was place for mostly tourist. I worked nearly 4 Months in there place and I could collect few amount for the study. I collected NRS 1000 from my work then one day I went to find out School in Kathmandu. I went college (we call college after 10 class study). I joint in college and I bought books, uniform and necessaries instrument for the study. I choose main subject English for my study.

I got dream to be tourist guide, when I show Tourist around Thamel. When I choose Main subject English there was big challenge for me because, to speak and read English because, my School background was Nepali medium only. I did very much hard work to learn English. I studied at Collage 4 years and I could success to ready and write such capable to speak and write English guide now. When I joint in Collage, again I couldn’t work in Restaurant because, couldn’t manage time schedule for the work. I left and tried to find some different job to manage time for study.

One day I was walking around Kathmandu, a gentle man came to ask me, to work with him as news paper seller. He said if you sell daily news paper from my store you will get one Rupee from one news paper. I thought, it will be better then nothing and I started to sell news paper whole in Kathmandu town. I walked whole Kathmandu town with news paper loads and I could sell 100 pies paper daily. I could earn Nrs. 100 every day but, every a week, I need to change my sandals because, walking continue is very hard and need shoes and sandals.

Very hardly, I did finish my study for 4 years and I couldn’t survive as news paper seller then again I tired to get some better job. I was lucky, one day when I was around Thamel, a guide was looking some porters to go Langtang trek with his group. I was sitting on the road he came to ask me do you want to do Trekking. He asked me, I was really unknown about trekking? How we should start didn’t have any idea about this. He said, I will give you NRS 100 per day and food will be includes; also, tourist will give you good tips in the end of the trip some he explain about the job. I felt very happy and I said ok. Next day I went with him to be first time tourist worker for Mountain.

In the first day, we used Bus service till to Dhunche (place for trekking start point) then we slept at night there. Next day Guide gave us basket to carry loads for the trekking. We were 5 porters for the 12 Tourist. I was really fresh experience and new porters among 5 porters. Trekking was camping style and we carried everything for the trip. We carried, foods, cooking stuff, tent, trekking gears for tourist and all necessaries stuff for 2 weeks by 5 porters. Our loads were an average 70 Kgs for each porter. We carried on the head by the rope. It was really painful and I cried every day. Because, 70 kgs loads was really heavy and hard to carry 2 weeks. How ever, I did finish the trip with them. I was thinking, couldn’t work in the trekking job because, in the begging, I did really hard and terrible loads on my head.

Final day was again in the Dhunche and we backed every body from the trip. Our group leader asked to our porters group, how is feeling? Also, he talked with Guide about our tipping, how we should give them tips and some contribution to them? But, guide was really bad guide because, he said don’t give direct tips to the porters, give me and I will do share them he said. I could understand English because; I already studied at collage for 4 years. Group leaders gave with guide US$ 50 to each porters but, guide gave us NRS 1000 each. Rest of money he took.

I thought, it is kind of exploitation from workers and if I could to be Guide, I never do such bad work. Just, I wished to be Guide to make change such kind of lacking from the tourist workers. I was lucky to work because, during the trip, I could learn many things from the 2 weeks trek and I could success to know some other friends to find out the trekking further. From my first trek I could earn Nrs.2000 rupees and I felt very much. It was 16 years ago and at that time Nepal tourism was very much good and we had so good tourism business. We had quality tourist and normally, tourist could pay how much company said for the trip.

I could success to get continue work from the some others companies to be good porter because; I was good English speaking porter among others. Every company, they were watching to get good speaking porter for the next good Guide.

Similarly, I worked 2 years as hard workers porter in the trekking industry. When I worked 2 years porter then I could to be Guide for the trekking area. I have been every trekking destination during my 2 years. When I started to work as Guide, my every trip was very much succeed and my company boss was happy from my guiding performance.

I could to be good Guide and could get succeed for Guide License from Nepal Government training agency.

When I was working in this trekking as guide, one day, I got very bad news from my village. My Father felt from the Hill and he was living with big injury (effect in heart) without treatment. We didn’t get any medical treatment and to go medical and hospital, takes one day and need to carry by the human recourse. I went to see my father at my home after 5 days, he was nearly died and I tried to take him Hospital but, I couldn’t because, it was too late. He died and I cried a lot and I felt, If I could success to build Hospital, I could provide treatment to the others, my father also, told me in his final stage, Jagat, you try to be good man and try to help such remote people for those Education and support for medication treatment. And he died after few second. So, I have dream to do some thing for my village and it will be succeed my father dream to contribute for my villagers.

When I get license for the trekking Guide, I was great guide. But, unfortunately, our tourist business got bad crisis after create Maoists problem in Nepal and our political instability. Still we are victimizing such problems and still we are working in the Nepal tourism but, not succeeding to get enough solution to maintain our family and kids Education support.

We have big expectations from our kids to change our future dream and trying to provide good Education them but, we don’t have any ways to send them in good School. We are really poor and less economic background. We can’t pay for the good School fee because that, requesting and trying to get opportunities from our friends and some support for kids bright future through those good Educations.

Please, it is our humble request to all you guys to the process with Father Robins to send our Kids as soon as we would be so happy for the kind helps. Also, I am always ready here to send more necessary details for the further process if you want.

Please, try to understand my poor English because, I am not professional writer for English because, I am village boy and I can’t write very well English.

Jagat Lama
www.independent-trekkingguide-nepal.com