Currently, Parbahadur Rokaya earns up to 50 thousand rupees annually by selling honey from bee farming. He has cultivated a garden with a hundred apple trees and is confident that managing the apple garden alongside bee farming can boost his income further. Rokaya believes that Pace Nepal has not only brought comfort to his life but also to his entire family. His aspiration is to advance in a commercial manner, encourage young people like him who have returned from India or the Gulf to stay at home, and invite skeptics of his business as well as government and non-government organizations to witness his progress.

Thirty-two-year-old Par Bahadur Rokaya, a resident of the former Ghodemahadev VDC (now Pakhri village of Tila Gaunpalika, Ward No. 7), has been a member of the income generation group established by Pace Nepal since 2069 B.S. He reflects on the skepticism he once held about receiving assistance from any source, be it government or non-governmental organizations, due to his helpless circumstances. He used to believe that despite his best efforts, it would be difficult to provide sustenance for his family without working in India. Upon attending meetings and discussions of the group after returning from India, he was impressed by the deliberations, training, and similar initiatives undertaken by Pace Nepal in the village. Armed with knowledge gained from professional training conducted by Pace Nepal, he started implementing his newfound skills on his land, which was approximately two hours away from the village.

The prospect of receiving support for herbs or assistance during times of financial scarcity was a constant source of worry for him day and night. Upon the suggestion of a social mobilizer from Pace Nepal, Rokaya began considering bee farming as an additional endeavor. He combined his herbal farming efforts in his field with bee farming at his residence, creating an environment conducive for bees to produce honey from herbs. This approach has provided him with a relatively more satisfactory means of livelihood and sustenance compared to the past. While providing for his family remains challenging, he no longer has to endure the toil of going to India and laboring day and night. Despite embarking on this venture without financial resources or influential political connections, Rokaya found himself seeking support from every possible avenue, including the local Gaunpalika and various governmental and non-governmental organizations.

At the break of dawn, as the sun’s rays illuminated the earth’s surface, a cloud of gloom used to descend upon his heart. He would ponder over how to navigate the day ahead with a family of nine members, including three young children, two daughters, his parents, himself, and his wife. Their dwelling was a modest mud hut, and their land holdings amounted to 2-4 hal. In terms of livestock, they possessed 4-5 goats, two cows, and 2/3 beehives. Rokaya’s journey to India for employment and to provide sustenance for his children was emblematic of his unwavering determination.

He recounts that there is likely no task he hasn’t undertaken. Returning home from India, he often had to forgo a satisfying meal due to financial constraints. With thoughts of whether his earnings would suffice until his return home and the weariness accumulated throughout the day, he faced a dilemma. After laboring for three to four years in India, he could barely manage to feed his family for 2-3 months upon his return. Arriving home after a full day’s work, he would find the hearth cold and no meal prepared. Par Bahadur Rokaya asserts that he is intimately acquainted with the hardships of struggling to provide for his family and fill their stomachs.