About Us
You already know something about Douglas, his wife and daughters, so let’s now learn something about some of the other people you may run into around the farm.
Arjun Sapkota
Arjun Sapkota; Farmhouse Manager, he takes care of our visitors and the cottage. Arjun will help you prepare your food or even cook it for you (including teach you how to make dhal bhat!) as he is an excellent cook and he will take care of your housekeeping needs as well as providing you information about the village and culture.
Manbir Bishwakarma
Manbir Bishwakarma (52), is invaluable in his ability to do a bit of everything around the farm! Also a skilled builder, Manbir was first employed by CWS to work on project construction sites in remote areas. With Manbir and his wife both being illiterate and with him living away, he found it hard to manage finances at home and found that family members were being taken advantage of because of their caste and education status. Thus, when an opportunity to work full time on the farm came up, he readily chose a lower yet steady wage and to live at home. Now Manbir has purchased his own land 500 metres from the farm and lives in harmony with his family which includes two grand daughters.
Laxmi Magar
Laxmi Magar (22) came down to Pokhara five years ago from Rukkum District in the remote mid west and heart of the recent Maoist/ government conflict. Today she works with Douglas and his family, doing their housework; cooking; taking their daughter, Fiona, to school each day, and ensuring the farm’s vegetables are delivered safely to the Jotyi Centre daily. Laxmi feels very secure in her new home on the farm and plans to work here as long as possible.
Tek Bahadur Bishwakarma
Tek Bahadur Bishwakarma (27) is the newest full time employee in the Furse Khola Organic Farm family. Although associated with the farm for several years through working as a seasonal labourer, Tek Bahadur became full time in April 2008 when he realised that Douglas’s offer of full time employment made sense in terms of long term security. Along with a regular monthly salary, all full time farm employees receive health benefits and profit share in kind. Tek Bahadur was smiling when he told us that he worked for the farm for four years as a seasonal labourer but it was only when he became full time that marriage proposals started pouring in!
Phul Maya Bishwakarma, Pabrita Bishwakarma and Peeari Bishwakarma
Phul Maya Bishwakarma (43), Pabrita Bishwakarma (18) and Peeari Bishwakarma (25) are three of our regular seasonal workers who are employed for weeding the vegetable fields, planting seedlings, weeding the grass, helping with construction, planting rice and whatever else might be required according to the season. Phul Maya expresses a preference to working here as it is close by to her village and doesn’t entail a long walk or bus journey as some other jobs do. The daily rate these three ladies earn is the rate fixed by the community and is, unfortunately, less than that earned by men doing the same or similar work.
“My husband works as a cook in India, coming home every two years,” explains Peeari, “but us women can’t go anywhere outside to work because we have to bare children. If men could give birth then we could go! But meantime, why can’t we at least get the same pay?” Everyone nods in agreement, including us. Going outwith the community “norms”, however, would cause conflict so we have to satisfy ourselves in the knowledge that by working with us, even if it is for less money than the men, our confident seasonal ladies have at least learned how to create and improve their own kitchen gardens. And by using organic methods seen demonstrated here they have found their vegetables are bigger, providing more nutrition for their children and families, and are more tasty too!
And last but not least, Che and Lucky, our two friendly dogs!
