The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD) Kailash Sacred Land-scape Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLCDI) would like to introduce a new tool for documentation and communication: Voices from Kailash Sacred Landscape.

Starting in far-western Nepal, KSLCDI interviews people affected by and benefiting from the project interventions. The interviews offer an intimate look into the lives of the region’s people and the impacts the project has made thus far. These interviews provide impact documentation on a micro-level and illustrate successes, changes and a path forward to address future needs.

Jogini Chaurigau Manyal, allo collector, Darchula

‘I got married when I was 12 years old. After two years my daughter was born. When she was six months old, my husband left for India to work. After that I have no idea what happened to him. He just disappeared. I had to move back in with my parents, who are really supportive, and provide a good home for my daughter and me. When I see her now, I am so proud. She is like me, deter-mined and caring. She is quite good in school. She is 12-years old now and already reached class seven. Whatever happens, I will make sure to give her as much education as she wants. She moti-vates me to really work hard.

‘For the last 12 years I have been mostly a housewife. Already as a child I was interested in knitting, making caps and mufflers. My mother always told me I can support you as long as I live, but you have to do something for yourself, learn something, get some skills, that will support you in your life. So I knew I needed to change something in my life and make sure that I could provide for my daughter and myself. That was when I got involved in allo two and a half years ago. I joined the Ghodani Allo group that was formed when the Kailash project started and got my first training in thread making. Later on, I had the opportunity to go to Kathmandu. The 15 days of knitting train-ing were a turning point in my life. I always wanted to learn more, more techniques, more designs, and there, I finally got the chance.

‘After the different trainings that were organised by SABAH, I have really thought about my life. Even if I would have had a better education, I would have chosen allo. Before I became a part of the allo group, I had no real social life, no community circle. We can talk, release our frustration, motivate each other. That is the energy that the group has and gives us. In the group, I pass on the things I learned in the workshops. I have been motivating everyone to keep doing. The group gives us confidences and the feeling that we can reach much higher levels. Individually we cannot. My confidence infected others.

‘I have also become a role model for my mom, my family and my daughter. The way I have taken the loss of my husband, keeping my name, raising my daughter. I have not pushed her to get into allo. She is more into her studies. In the end, she has to find something, where she would excel, like I have in my life now, like I have in allo.’

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