From a farmer life in Nepal to a loom in north India

Dolly Devi is from the countryside in Nepal, her family supported themselves as farmers and she have never went to school. Her family consisted of her parents, brothers and one sister. In the age of around 15 she started to have trouble with her hands, she loosed touch and they also got stiff. Leprosy. Her father send her to some relatives in Punjab, India, were she was given some treatment for about six months. From there her family and relatives arranged a marriage with a man who also hade leprosy. The man lived and worked at KKM in Dheradun so she also moved to KKM.

Since then, for about 30 years ago, she have been working and living at KKM. The first year she worked with the first steps to make the yarn from cotton. After that she was tought to weave on the loom and have been working with that since then. She had no working experience expect working on the familys farm so this was totally new for her and she learnt the new job step by step.

Lilian and Dolly Devi at KKM.

- I liked the place immediatly when I came, she says.

She and her husband got three children, two daughters and one son, which all have moved out now. One of the daughters are married, the son is studying. They come to visit sometimes. Dolly does not remember how long time ago she got married and moved to KKM but it must be almost 30 years soon she says beacuse she have a daughter that is around 27 years old.

An ordinary day Dolly Devi gets up and prepare breakfast which is often chai (tea) and bread. After that she starts to work, in the summertime 7.30 am to 11.30 and then a lunch break to 1.30 pm and ends the day at 17.00 pm. On the wintertime the working schedual are from 8.00 am to 11.30 with a lunch break then from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm. The lunch is prepared by themselves in the home. They work full days monday to friday and half day on saturday.

- I am happy here and that we get everything that is necessary, house, food, a work, the childrens school fees and some pocket money, says Dolly.

I ask her if there is any improvements she would like to see in the colony and if she see herself stay there also in the future.

- No, what would that be, my loom is were it is and I can not move it, she says laughing but in a sense of confussion by what I mean. Loss in translation or just satisfied, that I can not judge.

-And Where else would I go?, She says smiling to the question if she see herself stay in the colony.

Text by: Lilian Sahlin Translation by: Noel Das Photos by: Youdon Tsering