Struggle for survival
30 May 2008
Phuentsholing: Life offers a lot of choices to people but for a night guard in Phuntsholing the struggle for survival literally brings him to his knees. Selling bows and arrows during the day and working as a night guard doesn’t offer him enough to feed his family.|
Dorji Wangchuk came from Trashiyangtse 38 years ago in search of a job. He started his career by washing cars and selling bows and arrows. By and by, he landed up as a night guard earning Nu 3,000 a month.
However, with a limited income, sustaining his family has become a difficult task for him. “If I don’t sell bows and arrows today I won’t have anything to feed my family tomorrow. “ Dorji has an overriding role to play for his family. “With a wife and two children to look after, I hardly get time for leisure or sleep.” In fact Dorji sleeps for only 3 hours a day.
His son is an asthma patient but he is more concerned about his daughter who is lame. “Every morning, when I reach home from night duty, I have to carry my daughter to school” he said. Apart from paying house rent he also has to buy school dresses and other necessities for his son and daughter.
Moreover, Dorji’s relatives frequently visit him to feed on his limited income. “Last month I didn’t eat food for one week as I had to sacrifice the limited quantity for them” he said. Being a jovial person, he never showed anger and annoyance to anyone in the family. “Perhaps it’s the karmic consequence of my past misdeeds that I have to suffer this way,” he reflects.
However, he has a unique gift for making bows and arrows.
Every morning after reaching home from his night duty, he starts working on bows and arrows. He collects bamboo and cuts it into a length of 5 feet. After fashioning the bamboo into a good shape, he smoothes it with a broken bottle and makes a fine-looking bow. The procedure for making arrows and bow strings are even simpler for him.
With this side business he earns around Nu 2,000 a month. “Apart from purchasing clothes and stationeries for my daughter, I buy rice and vegetables; but I still sacrifice some meals so that I can feed my children well” he said. Dorji’s only wish is to educate his children so that they do not suffer the way he does; “I always pray that the fruit of my hard work be reaped with a brighter future for my son and daughter,” he said.
By Sangay Wangchuk
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It is indeed sad that poverty is reaching to this extent in our country, where GNH gave birth, please do something to improve the lives of the poor, not just pay hikes to pilots and all, who have 300,000.00 / 3000 = 100 times more than this people in a month, too much of a gap.
Wait a minute, perhaps his situation is not as sad as it looks. He makes the best of what he has and tries to be happy. GNH is a state of mind. It is not a device to measure Bhutan’s wealth to the west.
Yes he has to struggle and often life is very hard for him. However I think in this case. This man is a great representation of someone striving for GNH and not waiting for hand outs from the government.