Nepal Now: On the Move

Send us a text Today you will hear the last episode that I recorded in Kathmandu. I had long wanted to talk to a representative from a so-called labour receiving country – one that hires some of the hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrant workers who leave home each year to earn their livelihoods abroad. Although it was difficult to speak to someone from an embassy in Kathmandu, I did make contact with a project of the Korean International Development Agency, or KOICA, called K-HaMi. It focuses on reintegrating workers after they return to Nepal from South Korea. What I learned was how complicated that process can be. It includes the regular pre-departure training, plus more if, at the start of the migration process, a worker is already interested in learning about reintegration. Then there are choices of various skills training while abroad and finally, more training after workers return. It feels a little like choosing to stay in Nepal can actually be more work than signing up for another job abroad. Unfortunately, because this project started only in 2023, there seems to be a lack of hard data on its impact to date. But my guest Simran Shah says she feels positive that the project is having an impact. One correction: in the interview Simran says that K-HaMi has worked with 2,500 migrants to date. That figure should be more than 10,000 migrant workers. Resources K-HaMi project on YouTube 2024 report on returnee migrant workers’ experiences in Nepal Support the show Help steer the future of Nepal Now as it moves to Canada in October 2025. Fill out the survey. It takes just 5 minutes. Show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Send us a text In Monday's Kathmandu Post I read short bios of two of the 19 protesters killed by police in the GenZ demonstration one week ago. Both were from Nepal's Far West — Deepak Singh Saud was from Baitadi district, Subas Bohara from Bajhang. Deepak was 18, Subas 21. I send my condolences to their loved ones. As you probably know by now, the protest was about much more than the recent Nepal Government ban on social media. It was an explosion of frustration at how the political class has been running this nation for decades, longer than many protesters had been alive. And for a lot of those disaffected young people, the fact that they had to leave their country in order to find a job or continue their studies was a slap in the face, a symptom of all that was wrong with Nepal. In fact, both Deepak and Subas had been learning a foreign language so they could go abroad and get the sort of job they felt they needed to earn a decent living — Subas to Japan, Deepak to South Korea. I think there's a good chance that other victims had also considered leaving Nepal. I've been looking into migration and Nepal long enough to know that, despite the horror stories — and there are many — it does have benefits. Individuals can earn much more money than at home. They can pick up skills and women in particular can grow in confidence as they navigate a new society more independently than they would in Nepal. The country of course is a winner thanks to the money that migrants send home — at least a quarter of Nepal's overall income these days, one of the highest rates of the world's labour sending countries. But overall, to me nothing shows more plainly the failure of the entrenched leaders of the political parties than the hundreds of thousands of young people who every year feel that they have no option but to leave their country and loved ones to try and launch themselves into their adult lives in a strange land. I really really hope that in this new Nepal young people will feel like they have a choice — to leave, or to stay; a real choice, one whose pros and cons need to be carefully weighed before deciding. It will definitely take time to get there but last week a door opened that could lead in that direction, unfortunately not without unforgettable sacrifices. Resources Kathmandu Post article about Deepak Singh Saud Post article about Subas Bohara Detailed article about the GenZ andolan by Pranaya Rana Support the show Help steer the future of Nepal Now as it moves to Canada in October 2025. Fill out the survey. It takes just 5 minutes. Show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Send us a text You might have guessed from the headline for this episode that I am leaving Nepal. It’s a family move actually, back to my home country of Canada. Of course I will miss Nepal, where I’ve now spent 14 years of my life, but I’m confident we’ll be back one day. I will also miss doing this: speaking to all of you every couple of weeks about this fascinating place and its people. Thank you for taking the time to listen. I’m not sure what the next episode of Nepal Now will sound like, or when I’ll be able to post it, but I can say 100% that there will be another one. So keep checking this feed. While waiting you can explore our back catalogue of more than 100 episodes since 2020, which you can listen to for free. So, Nepal Now… from Canada. I’m not yet sure what that sounds like. Could I actually pull off a Nepal-focused podcast from 11,000 km away? I could simply change the focus to Nepalis in Canada. That would certainly be easier — but I have the feeling that you all might tire of hearing those stories rather quickly. Support the show Show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Send us a text The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 21 hit Nepali migrant workers hard. Thousands working in India were blocked from crossing the border into Nepal. Others overseas were laid off and confined to living quarters with little or no food, no money, and no tickets home. We recorded this episode in the midst of that dark period. While it describes the terrible conditions and uncertainty affecting migrants, it is at the same time a good primer on some of the core issues around migration and Nepal. With my guests Bijaya Rai Shrestha of the NGO AMKAS and academic Ramesh Sunam we touched on topics including: Unfortunately it seems like some of the optimism you’ll hear in this episode was unrealistic —little seems to have improved in the migration file in the past five years. Resources AMKAS Ramesh Sunam Support the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to cover the costs of editing the show and for our hosting platform. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Sign up to our newsletter Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole and Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

The rise in the numbers of Nepalis migrating to Japan in recent decades has been phenomenal — and I think overshadowed by movement to countries like the US, UK and Australia. Today the Asian country is by far the top destination for students going abroad to earn degrees and, in many cases, a path to settlement in the country. I doubt that you would ever guess that the origin of today’s migration to Japan is colonial Britain’s presence in Nepal’s neighbour, India. I’ll leave today’s guest, visual anthropologist Dipesh Kharel, to draw out that thread for you. He says that the link has led to a current population of about 230,000 Nepalis in Japan — five times more than the number of Indian migrants. One sign of how fully settled they have become in their new country is that many women no longer return to Nepal to give birth. By the way, Dipesh mentions the Japanese currency, the yen, a couple of times. As of today, 1 Nepali rupee was worth 1.07 yen. Resources About Dipesh Kharel Nepali students’ destinations (2023-24) Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi Support the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to cover the costs of editing the show and for our hosting platform. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Sign up to our newsletter Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole and Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Undoubtedly the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign has been a success. In less than five years it has led the identification and return to Nepal of about 160 religious icons — statues, paintings, and more. These were stolen from this country and displayed or stored in public museums and private collections globally since Nepal opened to the world in the 1950s. Now what? The aim of the NHRC is to have these gods and goddesses (devi-devta in Nepali) returned to their communities, we learn in today’s chat with Alisha Sijapati, a founding member and former director of the campaign. Some have made that journey, such as the Lakshmi-Narayan statue taken from Patko Tole in Patan in 1984, but most have not. Blocking their way is a lack of resources and underpinning that, an absence of understanding of the importance of heritage to the health of this country, she adds. Today’s episode is an update to our conversation in October 2021 with NHRC member Rohan Mishra, titled Recovering Nepal’s Stolen Art and Restoring its Culture. I encourage you to search for it wherever you’re listening now. If you want more of these interviews, sign up to be a supporter wherever you’re listening by clicking on the Support the Show link. For those of you in Nepal, the NHRC will take another step towards raising the profile of the living heritage of the stolen gods and goddesses in an exhibition at Patan Museum from July 31st to August 4th. Resources Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign Previous episode - Recovering Nepal’s Stolen Art and Restoring its Culture Lain Singh Bandel Juergen Schick Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi Support the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to defray the costs of making the show. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Sign up to our newsletter Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole and Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Talking to Prakash Gurung made me realize that not all migrant workers from Nepal are leaving the country out of necessity. When I interviewed him last year the 26-year-old told me about his failed migration attempts – as both a student and a migrant worker – but I got the sense that he had options in-country as well; he just preferred the idea of leaving. I think there are many people in similar circumstances — they could find a job here at home, but believe that abroad they might be able to save more money, live in better conditions, or have more promising future prospects, for themselves and/or their family. One year later Prakash has shelved his migration plans. In their place he has chosen an unusual path—learning classical guitar. A guitar player since his teenage years, Prakash says that playing classical requires much more discipline than playing and singing rock songs, including hours of daily practice. He’s found a teacher to guide him on that journey. As you’ll hear, Prakash is now talking about finding satisfaction and inner peace on his musical quest. This is a huge turnaround from the half-hearted pledges he was making when we talked in 2024, and a pleasant surprise to me. Want more of these interviews? Sign up to be a supporter wherever you’re listening by clicking on the Support the Show link. Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi Support the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to defray the costs of making the show. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Sign up to our newsletter Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole and Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Gyanu Adhikari is co-founder of The Record, the online news portal that published from 2014 to 2024. With 10 years’ experience running a media outlet that not only innovated in its content – offering long reads, history series, and podcasts, for example – but also experimented with funding—using a subscriber model—Gyanu has lots to share about media in Nepal. But surprisingly, he was most eager to talk about the state of the country—and more optimistic than most people I speak to about the future of Nepal. This episode was first published in 2024. I’m re-posting an episode today for the first time, mainly because I’ll be out of town this week and couldn’t finish a new one fast enough. I chose to feature my chat with Gyanu because it’s one of the most popular I’ve published since 2020 and also because it’s evergreen, since it deals with the media and the future, two subjects that many of us never tire speculating about. I reached out to Gyanu a couple of days ago to ask if he wanted to add anything to his thoughts three years later. He told me, quote, “I still believe we are on a good path provided we can keep the constitution and rule of law — a secular federal republic will take us far. To speed up the progress, Nepal should be inspired by China and Scandinavian countries’ green transition. Democratizing the energy industry, for example, with feed-in tariffs, and replacing dirty with clean energy in every domain. That’d allow us to leapfrog ahead instead of merely play catchup with developed countries. We are also still badly under-investing in human capital, including in the arts.” Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi Support the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to defray the costs of making the show. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Sign up to our newsletter Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole and Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

If I told you about a 30-year study that has already resulted in 261 research publications, you’d be impressed right? And if I added that the study is based in Chitwan, and co-led by a Nepali, Prof. Dirgha Ghimire? I think you’d be even more enthusiastic. At least I was when I learned about the Chitwan Valley Family Study just a month ago. I’m not sure how I missed it over the past two decades that I’ve lived here but I’m a firm believer in the adage ‘better late than never’. Before we get to today’s episode, did you know that we now have an e-newsletter? If you’re curious about what we’re working on for future shows, the latest news about migration and Nepal, or you want to share feedback and ideas, I encourage you to sign up now. Researchers at the Chitwan Valley study, based at the University of Michigan in the US, have been contacting members of the same 152 communities for the past three decades to collect key details of their lives: births, deaths, how they’re aging, how their children are growing and much, much more. Especially key for our purposes is what happens to them—and their family members—when they migrate. Resources Chitwan Valley Family Study Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi Support the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to defray the costs of making the show. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bankhundole and Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studios. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

I’ve said it to you listeners more than once: it seems that almost every young person I've met in Nepal in the last couple years was planning to go overseas, or knows someone who's doing so. Now I have proof, kind of. Yesterday I spoke to a researcher whose team surveyed a high school graduating class. 40% of the students said they want to go study abroad after graduation; another 40% said they hope to go work overseas. That's 80% — a huge number, but I'm not surprised. So when I meet someone in their 20s who graduated high school in Nepal, then did a bachelor’s degree, and then a master’s degree, and is now working in this country, I get curious. Today’s guest, Paribesh Bidari, tells me that the youngest people he’s working with in his various offices are in their 40s. And while he’s juggling many gigs to advance his career, he’s also making it a point to motivate his juniors to stay in Nepal. Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi Support the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to defray the costs of making the show. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bankhundole and Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi Just like coffee shops, it seems that education consultancies are multiplying faster than rabbits in Kathmandu. I’ve always wondered why prospective students spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of rupees to have someone fill out their overseas college and university applications for them. After all, if they've made it to Grade 12 or beyond, surely they must be able to do it themselves. So I was very happy to have nursing expert Radha Adhikari on the show to explain some of the reasons why it's not quite as simple as I thought. I think you'll agree that her information and insights are fascinating. Also, I am happy, and proud, to announce that Nepal Now is 100 episodes old! Thank you to everyone who’s listened since 2020. That’s when I started the show as a way to broaden the conversation about ‘development’ and Nepal, and to share more of the kinds of interviews that I was already doing, instead of having them reduced to just a couple of paragraphs in an article. For those of you still listening, I have just one request: Feedback please! I know you’re out there, but I really want to know what you’re thinking. Love the show – fantastic; hate it – not so good, but tell me anyway. Even better if you have suggestions. It’s extremely easy to get in touch. Send a text by clicking on the link at the top of the notes to this episode, or message us on social media. We’re @nepalnowpod. Questions or comments: email me at nepalnowpod(at)gmail.com. Support the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to defray the costs of making the show. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to PEI in Bankhundole and Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi It’s been more than a dozen years since Maya Sherpa returned from working in Kuwait. Today she devotes herself to helping other returned female migrant workers readjust to life in Nepal. One reason why she's so committed to that work is because of the violent reaction she faced, not as a migrant in Kuwait but after she returned to her community in Nepal. My three takeaways from today's conversation are: This is episode 99! We want your ideas about how we should mark #100. Text us at the link in the show notes or message us on social. We're (at)nepalnowpod. We have a newsletter! Check out the first issue and subscribe for the next ones. These episodes are linked to Maya's story—check them out: Women migrant workers: Lift the ban and get positiveNepal unprepared to reintegrate women migrant workersSupport the show You can subscribe to Nepal Now for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to defray the costs of making the show. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Tell us how we're doing, or just say hi Hi everyone. I have to admit that I had a pretty good idea of what this episode was going to be about, how it was going to unfold, as they say. I was talking to the father of three daughters, grown daughters, all living overseas, and I thought that he and his wife were planning to go live with them in the US, but I was wrong. You're gonna have to listen to find out exactly how I was wrong, but I will say that it was one of the most enjoyable interviews I've done in a long time. I spent just over an hour with Rajendra, but I think we hit it off pretty quickly and got into some pretty personal areas quite fast and had a lot of fun, some laughs, and I think he also enjoyed it. I'm really curious to hear what you think. So let me know. I want to give a shout out to S.U., I only have their initials, who posted online about Nepal Now: they are "fascinating and insightful interviews and discussions that share so much about lived experience in Nepal. I am listening while on a trip in Nepal." Thank you very much for that review, which S.U. posted in May, 2024. I feel bad that I only found it recently. If you're interested in supporting the show, but, can't do it financially at the moment, one of the next best things you can do is leave us a review. It might help introduce a newcomer to the show and turn them into a listener, which would be great. Support the show I want to give a huge shout-out to Prem Awasthi. He was the first guest of Nepal Now in 2024 when we shifted our focus to migration, and was also the first listener to subscribe to the show. You can subscribe for as little as $3 a month. Your support will help to defray the costs of making the show. And you'll also get a shout-out in a future episode. You can also show your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or sharing it on social media: LinkedIn Instagram BlueSky Facebook Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.

Send us a text Khakendra Khatri paid 7 lakh or 700,000 Nepali rupees (about 5,000 USD) for a job in Russia, but soon after arriving he realized that he was being sent to the front line of the Russia-Ukraine war. Desperate, he bribed a commander, and then escaped by walking through a forest overnight with a group of other trafficked Nepalis. Needing work to feed her children, Sushma found a recruiter to send her to join her aunt working in Kuwait but got sick and returned to Nepal after three months. The recruiter’s calls began soon after she returned, demanding that she pay him more than 3 lakh. Both Khakendra and Sushma filed reports with police, and they, and their families, are now deep in debt. Welcome to Nepal Now: On the Move. My name is Marty Logan. This is the podcast that talks to some of the hundreds of thousands of people migrating from — and sometimes to — this small country surrounded by global giants China and India. Months later we reach out again to find out if reality in their new, temporary, home is meeting expectations. Occasionally we call in an expert to try and better understand all of this movement. The stories of Khakendra and Sushma, which you might remember from earlier episodes, make the idea of ‘fee-free’ migration sound like a dream. But it’s not. Today we're speaking with Upasana Khadka, a migration expert who is working on both no-cost and low-cost migration, which do both actually happen. This chat opened my eyes to how labour migration from Nepal is intertwined with global events, such as criticism of forced labour in countries including Malaysia. Upasana, who founded Migration Lab in Kathmandu, also highlights what is becoming a theme in this podcast: the positive aspects of migration. Thanks again to Upasana Khadka for coming on the show. You wouldn't have guessed it, but this is the first time she has overcome her nerves to speak on a podcast, so I feel honored that she chose Nepal Now. I want to give another shout-out, to Prem Awasthi. He was the first guest of Nepal Now in 2024 when we shifted our focus to migration, and was also the first listener to subscribe to the show. If you're curious about subscribing, click on the Support the Show link under Resources in the show notes, wherever you're listening to this. There you can choose from various amounts of monthly support starting at three dollars. The money will go first to paying our costs for hosting and editing the show. Resources Tricked into going to Russia, Khakendra fled before reaching the front lines Three months in Kuwait: The story of migrant worker Sushma Migration Lab Support the show Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Voicemail Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.

What do you think? Send us a text Hi everyone. Today we're speaking with Tanka Dhakal, a journalist who’s currently doing a Master’s degree in the US. He’ll tell us about how the targeting of migrants in that country affected a city council meeting he was reporting on. But what I think is even more interesting is Tanka’s personal reaction to that meeting. But before we get to that, I want to let you know that you can now support Nepal Now with a monthly subscription. This is totally voluntary, but if you want to do it the cost starts at 3 US dollars a month, up to $10. You choose the amount. The money will help defray my costs for making the show. For now, you can subscribe only by credit card, which I know isn’t possible for everyone – if you really want to support us and don’t have a credit card let me know and we can work out a mobile money transfer. Depending on where you’re listening to this, you might see a link in the episode notes called Support the Show, under the resources heading. Click on that. Otherwise, go to nepalnowpod.buzzsprout.com, then click on Subscribe to see your options. Welcome to Nepal Now: On the Move. My name is Marty Logan. This is the podcast that talks to some of the hundreds of thousands of people migrating from — and sometimes to — this small country surrounded by global giants China and India. Months later we try to reach out again to find out if reality in their new, temporary, home is meeting expectations. Occasionally we call in an expert to try and better understand all of this movement. Back to today’s episode. You’ve probably heard about the list of 1,300-plus names of undocumented Nepalis who are supposed to be deported from the US. I heard a rumour last week that about 100 have already been returned, but there’s been no confirmation. I think what Tanka’s account makes clear is that you don’t need to be undocumented to be living in fear in the US today. A couple of notes before we start: Tanka mentions that Nepalis have paid 50 lakh to 70 lakh to travel to the US illegally. That’s roughly $36,000 - $50,000. I’ve heard of people paying even more. He also talks about university students with DACA status. Known also as ‘dreamers’, those are undocumented people who entered the US as minors. Resources Article - US to deport 1,365 Nepalis Support the show Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Voicemail Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.

What do you think? Send us a text Hi everyone. I’m sorry for the delay in releasing this episode. In a minute, we’ll get to this week’s chat about how female migrant workers are treated after they return to Nepal, but first I want to share some personal news. My stepfather passed away in December, which changed everything. Like many of us he was a migrant. Born on a farm 90 years ago in northwestern Ontario, the centre of Canada, when he was a young man he moved 2,500 km away to Vancouver on the Pacific Ocean. Soon after he moved even further, across what was then Georgia Strait, now the Salish Sea, to Vancouver Island, where my family lived. After he retired, my wife and I, then living in central Canada, encouraged him to visit his hometown. But insisting that he was afraid to fly, he always said no. He also refused to make the trip by train or car. I think maybe he had just become too much of a homebody at that point, preferring to spend his time caring for his yard and small house in a small city. I dedicate this episode to my stepfather, Joe. This week we’re talking with Sunita Mainali, Executive Director of WOREC, an NGO that works on a broad range of women’s issues. As I said, we’re talking mainly about what happens to female migrant workers after they return from working abroad. As you’ll hear, I just assumed that the focus would, and should, be on finding work for these women in Nepal. But I learned quickly that without social reintegration there can be no economic reintegration. One note: Sunita mentions the GCM. That is the Global Coordination Mechanism, an international treaty on migration developed by the United Nations. Resources WOREC website Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Voicemail Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.

What do you think? Send us a text Hi everyone. Today we’re replaying our most popular episode of the year. Like every migration story, it is a unique one. Prem Awasthi moved to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, almost exactly one year ago to start a new job with the United Nations. We talked with him just hours before his plane left Kathmandu, to hear his expectations of this new stage in his life, and the life of his family. Welcome to Nepal Now: On the Move. My name is Marty Logan. This is the podcast that talks to some of the hundreds of thousands of people migrating from — and sometimes to — this small country surrounded by global giants China and India. Months later we reach out again to find out if reality in their new, temporary, home is meeting expectations. Occasionally we call in an expert to try and better understand all of this movement. Not only did we talk with Prem Awasthi before he left Nepal, we caught up with him six months later to see how his new life compared to what he imagined before leaving. What struck me most about our second conversation was his feeling that already his roots to his homeland were getting shallower. Thank you to everyone who listened in 2024. Focusing solely on one issue – migration – was something new for Nepal Now, so I hope you enjoyed that approach. Whether you did, or didn’t, you can send a comment or an idea for a future episode by clicking on the link at the top of these show notes. Message Nepal Now on social – we’re @nepalnowpod on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. You can also email me at nepalnowpod(at)gmail.com. I’ll talk to you next time. Resources Follow-up episode with Prem Awasthi Updated trailer explaining why we do this show Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Voicemail Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.

What do you think? Send us a text Pragati Nepali is just 19 but already she has been married, migrated to work in neighbouring India, and then moved to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu for other opportunities. That’s where friends told her about a job in a garment factory in Jordan. When we talked last week she estimated that she might be finished her paperwork and winging toward the Middle Eastern country by mid-December. Jordan is one of very few Middle Eastern countries to which the Government of Nepal allows women to migrate for work. That’s because of past incidents of violence against women migrant workers in the region’s countries. We talked about this ban earlier this year in our chat with expert Sadikshya Bhattarai. The flow of migrant workers from Nepal to Jordan has never been huge, peaking at just over 2,700 in 2016-2017 and then falling to just 621 in 2022-23. Regardless, tens of thousands of women have made the trip to other countries in the region illegally, often being trafficked through India. We spoke with one such woman, Sushma, earlier this year. Pragati says an aunt working in Jordan encouraged her to apply for a job in the factory, which reportedly makes clothing for Nike and other brands. Pragati has already set out a path after she completes her three-year contract in Jordan: she will return to her home district, Mugu, and start a design business. Resources Nepal labour agreement with Jordan, 2017Flow of migrant workers from Asia to JordanWomen migrant workers from Nepal: Lift the ban and get positive Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Voicemail Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.

What do you think? Send us a text Today we’re catching up with Aayush Pokharel, a graduate student in Canada who we first talked to in May. This year, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has severely cut the number of temporary residents it allows into the country, including international students. It also chopped the number of temporary work permits for grad students like Aayush, which are usually followed by a chance to apply for PR — permanent residency. Many temporary residents in Canada now worry that their PR dream is disappearing. While Canada’s new rules have led to a spike in students applying for asylum, or refugee protection, Aayush says he’s not worried that he won’t qualify for PR – he just wants to get a job where he can use his education. Otherwise, what was the point of leaving Nepal? Resources Our first interview with Aayush Pokharel Recent update from The Globe and Mail Growing number of students claiming asylum Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Voicemail Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.

What do you think? Send us a text Of all the reasons I’ve heard for Nepalis migrating to work abroad, this one was the most shocking: to fight for the Russian Army in its invasion of Ukraine. The news first reached the mainstream media in mid-2023 but long before that, photos of young Nepali men posing in Russian Army uniforms had been circulating online. For the unemployed, or under-employed, Russia quickly became the newest, fastest way to earn foreign currency, topped up in some cases with the promise of an appealing foreign passport. But soon after, news of growing numbers of battlefield deaths began making headlines, and calls grew for the Nepal Government to intervene. It did ask the Russian government to prevent recruitment, which seems to have happened in recent months, according to reports. But the government says 40 Nepalis are confirmed to have died fighting for Russia and an even larger number of corpses are undergoing DNA tests. Today’s guest, Khakendra Khatri, was planning to go work in South Korea when he was approached by a Nepali recruiter in Dang district. At first he wasn’t interested but the man persisted for more than a month to sell him the dream. Finally, Khatri agreed that the conditions offered were worth his recruiter’s fee of 7 lakhs (700,000 rupees or 5,200 USD) to buy a spot. He was promised a 5-lakh monthly salary, permanent residency in Russia after 1 year, and the chance to procure a visa in a western country. Khatri was told that he would be cooking for the soldiers, behind the front lines, but when he got closer to the battlefield he saw that wasn’t accurate—he had been designated as a fighter. The Nepali man quickly started negotiating a way out. A quick note before we start: SLC means school leaving certificate, or a grade 10 diploma. You'll notice that the sound quality isn't at its usual level in this episode. That's because we were missing some equipment in the studio so we had to go to Plan B to produce this one. Apologies for that. Resources Article about Khakendra Khatri, Centre for Investigative Journalism Nepal 40 deaths confirmed of Nepalis fighting in Russian Army – Kathmandu Post article Send us feedback and ideas. We'll respond to every message: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Voicemail Music by audionautix.com. Thank you to Himal Media in Patan Dhoka for the use of their studio.