Dukhanidevi's never-ending sorrow

Saptari (Nepal) : Dukhani Devi Mandal had been looking forward to realizing many of her dreams when she sent her son for foreign employment three years ago. A resident of Malepur in Belhichapena rural municipality, Dukhani Devi borrowed Rs. 150,000 from a local money lender to send her son for work in Malaysia. She had kept her land as collateral for the same. 

She took the courage to take the loan not only thinking that her son would pay back after working in Malaysia but would also help improve the financial situation of the family. But she had to give up her dreams and hope very quickly, as her son Manoj Kumar Mandal returned back in just 22 days from Malaysia. 

Manoj suffered mental health problems in a new environment, society and context in Malaysia and as a result his company Care Global Fortune of Malaysia returned him to Nepal. 

Hence, the days of pain and sorrow that began three years ago with the return of her son continues for Dukhani Devi as of today. The loan she took from local money lender Birha Yadav continues to hunt her, as she has failed to pay back. The loan of Rs. 150,000 has since more than doubled to reach Rs. 405,000 as a result of the multiple interest applied on the capital. 

"I have no other source of income, my breadwinner son is down with sickness, so how can I pay back the loan," she said. Dukhani Devi and her husband work as daily labourer and in their farm to make a living and pay the loan in installments. 

The agent returned back the money that had been taken to send her son to Malaysia after a very long time since Manoj returned. Hence, she paid Rs. 200,000 to her money lender with the money returned by the agent. Then she paid Rs. 100,000 in two installments of 50,000 rupees. And she still owes Rs. 105,000. The collateral has not been released yet. Even though she took Rs. 155,000, she was asked to sign documents stating that she will pay back Rs. 300,000 in loan, Dukhani Devi said. 

Dukhani Devi has a three-year-old grand-daughter. With her daughter-in-law living most of time at her parents' home due to alleged trouble from the mentally-disturbed husband, Dukhani Devi is now responsible for the upbringing of her grand-daughter as well. 'I am not sure when my son will recover but I just wish I could provide good education for my grand-daughter,' she said. 

Dukhani Devi's family is one among many families who have been ruined for taking loan from local money lenders with very high interest. Furthermore, they are asked to sign papers that say that they borrowed double than the actual amount. If one has borrowed Rs. 100,000 then the paper work is for Rs. 200,000 already, including the said interest. 

Even though local authorities are aware about the illegal practice, no efforts are found to have been made to stop people from being ruined. Lack of financial literacy, hassles to receive loan from banks and the financial institutions not providing loans to the poor easily has also contributed to rise in such incidents, where people are forced to go to the money lenders. 

With the government investing a lot in the foreign employment sector, it has to take this issue seriously as well in order to stop people from falling victim (like Dukhani Devi) to very mean local money lenders. The local administration could also work to promote financial literacy while checking on such illicit activities of money lenders.