Dadeldhura. 19-year-old Deepak Bhattarai of Amargadhi Municipality-7 has been working as a 'painter' to fund his studies. He saves Rs 25,000 per month from this work. After passing grade 12, he has been working as a 'painter' for about seven months with the goal of completing his bachelor's degree. He says he started working because he could not rely solely on his family for his studies due to the family's financial situation.
Deepak, who is the eldest son, also has a brother who is studying. His parents are involved in farming, so the family's financial situation is not easy. Therefore, he said that he started working to raise his study expenses as soon as he enrolled in the bachelor's level. Although it is not easy to pursue studies and work simultaneously, his goal is to continue both for his future.
Like Deepak, Shivraj Bhattarai of Amargadhi-7 is also earning income through painting work. Having worked in this field for the past six years, he initially started painting in his free time. He has now made it his main profession.
According to Shivraj, the income from painting work ranges from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 per month. He said that he completes painting about four to five houses in a month. Working in a group of eight, he also teaches painting skills to others as needed. However, he says that work is not available for one to two months during the monsoon season.
Similarly, 29-year-old Chet Bik of Amargadhi-7, Pokhara is also involved in painting work. After returning from India where he spent two years in search of employment, he learned the skill of painting in his own place and started working. Working in this field for about a year, Bik is happy to be able to earn by working in his own place. He advised other youths to learn skills and work in their own place as much as possible.
The experiences of these youths show that skill-based work can help in pursuing studies and employment simultaneously. If skill-based training, employment opportunities, and programs to encourage youth are expanded at the local level, it can be expected to create an environment for studying and working, as well as help reduce dependence on foreign employment.
