Despite his incomplete schooling, Laxmi Chandra Bista, aged 42 who hails from Dhaulapani, Tatopani Rural Municipality 6 born to Kammar Singh Bista and Bijuli Bista, faced family and economic difficulties from an early age. He was compelled to work in household chores, farming, and livestock herding. Dhaulapani is a small and beautiful village located 6 kilometers from Khalanga Bazaar in Jumla District. It is home to about 600 people, including 250 women, 230 men, 32 elderlies, and 88 children. The village is characterized by its diverse population and Hindu cultural traditions, with significant emphasis on festivals like Dashain and Tihar.

Support from Sarbodaya Nepal Jumla

Laxmi is a local gender equality activist

• Gender equality training
• Women’s empowerment training
• Training on child marriage and domestic violence
• Monthly campaigns to eliminate the practice of Chhaupadi
• Management and facilitation of monthly group meetings.

Current Status

• Increased awareness about domestic violence has led to improvements in family problems.
• Gender equality has improved, with men and women now sharing equal responsibilities. Social issues and vices in the community have gradually decreased.
• Women-led programs have brought significant changes in social, economic, political, and physical sectors.
• Women’s role in economic activities has become prominent.
• Physical, mental, and psychological violence against women has decreased.
• Women now stay indoors during menstruation and maintain personal hygiene.
• Legal marriages have become more common, reducing instances of child marriages and other traditional practices.
• Polygamy has decreased, and inter cast marriages are now accepted by the community.
• Peace and good governance have been established in the community.

Laxmi has been actively involved not only in his personal household matters but also in social campaigns to address the social issues affecting his community. Due to unemployment and financial constraints, Laxmi could only study up to the 7th grade at the local school, Shri Durga Secondary School in Lamra. When he was about to enter the 8th grade, he had to stop attending school because of family problems. At the age of 24, he got married to Tara Bista from Ward No. 5 of Tatopani Rural Municipality. They have two sons and a daughter, making a family of 5 members.

Laxmi admits that due lack of education, his entire family remains illiterate, causing them to struggle for livelihood. Despite his limitations, Laxmi is determined to provide a better education for his three children. His eldest son completed 10th grade at Shri Himshikhar Secondary School, while his younger son is in the 9th grade, and his daughter is in the 7th grade. To support their education, Laxmi works as a laborer and does various odd jobs.For the past five years, Laxmi has been working as a facilitator for the male group in Sarbodaya Nepal Jumla. During his service tenure, he has focused on addressing social issues such as child marriage, polygamy, domestic violence, witchcraft accusations, and caste discrimination. He has conducted training sessions and awareness campaigns to educate the community and promote gender equality in society. Despite his hardship, Laxmi views his work as a facilitator and community activist to be his duty as a citizen. His efforts have led to improvements in community practices, including better education and social awareness.