First person: Rajendra Sah

When I was growing up here, in Jahada Rural Municipality, in Nepal’s lowlands, my father was a daily wage laborer, farming in other people’s fields. Much of what he earned, he invested in my school supplies and books.   

By the time I was a teenager, I’d go along with him on Saturdays, when I wasn’t in school.

I used to see the landlords shouting at him if something went wrong. I knew there had to be a better way to guide farmers than scolding them.

I wanted to study to become an agricultural technician and teach other people, without treating them the way those landlords treated my father. But the course I needed to take, it was 25,000 Nepali rupees (190 USD). That was a lot of money for us. Because of my family’s financial situation, I could not go. Instead, I finished secondary school and began doing daily wage work for a living. 

I held onto the dream of going for agricultural technician studies. I wanted to save up the money. But my younger brother, he was in class eight. I didn’t like the way he was being taught. I wanted to send him to a better school in the nearby city of Biratnagar. Because of that, and a loan I took out when my younger sister got married, I couldn’t save the money.

And then, in 2017, a staff member from an MCC partner came around my village to speak with the young adults. He let us know of a vocational training program offered through Sailaja Acharya Memorial Polytechnic Institute, right here in Jahada.

The opportunity came with a generous scholarship. I sat for the entrance exam and knew many of the answers because of practical experience I had working in fields. That is how I was selected. The project paid 23,000 Nepali rupees of the tuition. All I had to add was 2,000 from my side.

The program took 15 months. The first year was a mix of theoretical lessons in a classroom and hands-on training. During this time, my mother was taken seriously ill. I got married, and my wife was able to take care of my mother as she got better. But I still missed many classes to tend to her. My work experience helped me fill in the gaps, however, so I was able to pass my exams.

During the final three months, we were sent for on-the-job training. I worked as a technician with the agricultural resource center in Biratnagar.

At the same time, I leased some land to start a farm of my own. I shared what I’d learned in school with my parents, brother and wife, so that we could all grow vegetables together. When I could afford to do so, I expanded the land so that we could grow rice and wheat, too. I started investing my earnings in cows. As the farm grew, we all began to earn more income. I started making 1 million Nepali rupees (7,500 USD) per year from the farm.

While still working on my farm, I took an 18-month position with the agricultural resource center. In 2022, after that contract ended, I found my current role with Sahayogi Hatharuko Samuha (Group of Helping Hands, SAHAS) Nepal. I was excited that SAHAS worked in Jahada, in my own community. And when I learned that SAHAS partners with MCC, one of the organizations that made my education possible, my happiness knew no bounds.

My family has been expanding. My wife and I had a son. My brother finished secondary school and married. With the money I’ve earned through farming and work, I feel secure in my ability to save for my son’s education.

At the same time, I have helped my brother pursue studies in information technology. And while married women in my community are expected to stay at home and care for their families, it has been my sister-in-law’s dream to enter the health care field. I helped her secure a scholarship and can help with any costs that this funding does not cover.

And through my role with SAHAS, I can help others in my community receive the training they need.

I work with farmers’ groups that we’ve helped residents establish throughout Jahada. I teach them about things like choosing the right seeds for this region and caring for fishponds.

I strive to walk alongside the farmers, rather than just supervising them. If they cannot meet during my working hours, I’ll check in on them in the morning or in the evening, on my own time. When they are hesitant to adopt new practices, I calmly explain why different techniques are beneficial. And I am sure to listen to, and learn from, them as well.

Many of the farmers here come from marginalized groups. They did not have much access to the government before — many did not know where the rural municipality office was. But our trainings teach farmers about their rights, and about how to advocate for themselves with the government. Now, I’ve seen group members reach out to not only our local officials, but even the provincial parliament. We’ve been able to break down barriers, and help people overcome caste discrimination.

In 2022, SAHAS began administering the vocational training program with MCC. I feel very happy that SAHAS is running this training program and giving other young adults a chance at achieving their dreams. If I had not had this opportunity, I would not be where I am, working in the community, helping other people and sharing my knowledge with everyone.