Life in the Mountains

"Beyond the mountains, more mountains.” —Haitian proverb

 

Trishul wreathed in clouds

The local village people do not climb for a view. It is part of their everyday chores, from gathering firewood to going to school, to building a house,  it is a hard life. Especially for villages where one has to walk to get to.

Munni Devi gathers firewood...

...and walks away

Firewood is the sustenance of all villagers in the mountains.  Though gas has come, it is still in the nascent stages and is a luxury to use for heating. One saw a man carry an empty cylinder to be exchanged for a full cylinder, imagine carrying that back, two kilometres each way.

From heating to eating and everything in between,
it is done through wood. 

school is what it is

In village schools there are more kids than classrooms.  In the school one visited, there were three rooms for six classes. 

farming the land for what meagre crop there is

The children go to cities for jobs else they do what their parents did, look after cattle and farm. 

the daily menu...

School going children are a boon, as there one meal less to feed them as school gives lunch, though one wonders how filling or nutritious the lunch is.

Life is hard here in the mountains, harsh weather conditions, limited access to resources, and challenging terrain make it especially difficult.