Khadgamaya: Aging by years, youthful by work! (with photos)

KATHMANDU: Khadgamaya Basnet, a 74-year-old woman originally from Okhaldhunga, is currently residing in Duwakot, Bhaktapur, with her son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. Her husband passed away many years ago.

Recently, Khadgamaya was seen tending to goats in a large field below the Ganesh Temple in Duwakot, where she was caring for eight goats, including kids and adults.

Her son and daughter-in-law have taken over the family land, raising around 9 to 10 cows, seven of which are milk-producing. In addition to the cows, they also keep chickens and goats.

Khadgamaya mentioned that they raise Boer goats, and she recalled that purchasing an adult female goat and a male goat cost them 18,000 Nepali Rupees. She stated, “Selling them for 18,000 is not a big deal. Just recently, we sold some for 50,000, including kids and castrated males.”

She shared that the female goats they bred last Mangsir gave birth again in Jestha, with each goat producing three kids on average.

Khadgamaya expressed that goat farming is indeed profitable. She used to take the goats out to graze twice a day, but since falling ill, she can only manage to take them out once in the morning.

Reflecting on her past, she recalled, “In the village, we had plenty of cows, buffaloes, and goats. There was an abundance of grass. We used to hire laborers to cut the grass, which we stored for winter. The local fodder was plentiful, and we had access to it throughout the season.”

Despite the abundance of grazing land in her village, Khadgamaya pointed out that the Kathmandu Valley faces significant challenges in finding grazing areas. She mentioned that her family remains in Bhaktapur, compelling her to adapt to life away from her village, noting, “There isn’t much space to graze livestock here.”

-Tenzing Dolma Tamang