“My father had a lot of expectations from me. I was a studious girl, did well in activities and could communicate well. Father had sent me to the best of schools. He never compromised on my upbringing. He had high hopes. So when I ran away from home at the age of 17 and got married without my family’s consent he was hurt. You know love blinds you and I was too naive to understand what marriage means and how it can affect families. After I eloped, we had gone to India. When I returned to Nepal after 9 months, my father called me and expressed his wish to meet me. When I came home, I could see the disappointment in his eyes. He could not stop crying. At the time I really did not understand the depth of his agony.

Things were different in my husband’s home but I continued my education while I worked as a housewife. When I turned 22, I had my first daughter. I remember my mother calling me one of those days to check on me. I had told her, “Mother, now that I am also a mother, I understand that parents love children more than children love their parents.” My mother said it was good that I understood better late than never. She told me of the hurt I have given to them especially my father. It was only then when I became a mother I truly understood my father’s heartbreak. As I sat to think, I could see how my decision had put him in a tough spot. He would always go around praising me around the community and with his extended family. He would tell everyone about the conservation works that I was going to do. He would tell me how proud he was of me. That day my heart broke too. But some things cannot be changed. What was done was done and I had to live with that.But that day I vowed that I would strive to make him proud. I would make a name for myself. I vowed to redeem myself in his eyes. I know my father still loved me even though I stepped on his dreams. At home, I continued with education. I did my Bachelors, and I also got a double Master degree. My husband was supportive of me.

Today, I work in conservation, looking after the Karnali corridor and working to protect river, aquatic biodiversity and advocating sustainable living. Haphazard excavation in our area has led to degraded conditions of the Karnali and Mahakali Rivers. It has been almost 10 years and the challenges grow bigger every year. You see, the destruction of Karnali is chronic and systematic. There are a lot of powerful people involved and there are many loopholes in the system. Gravel mining in this area is rampant and people do not realize that their shortsightedness is going to be a reason for their own demise. There is a lot of corruption, greed and unhealthy competition. River beds are being constantly dug up. When we go to monitor the river the sight what we see is scary. Entire stretches of river beds have been dug up for gravel. Not so long ago, I invited the concerned government authorities to join me in our patrolling. We showed him how tractors and trucks continue to dig even when there is a hoarding board that says that mining is prohibited in the area. They just listened and went back and promised they would do something. But nothing has been done yet.But I have vowed not to stop. I will give everything I have to protect Karnali. We have worked together with local governments and communities with support from USAID Paani Program to wake up contractors and miners stop illegal mining activities and promote sustainable practice. Without communities’ involvement conservation is not possible so we have our eyes and ears in these communities who tell us what is going on. I have confronted mobs, illegal miners, politicians and inept authorities. So people know me as someone who is not afraid to speak. They know me and I feel I have contributed to this cause and will continue to do so.With support from organizations and other stakeholders, we promoted sustainable gravel mining practices in collaboration with local governments. We are sensitizing communities and strengthening the local government’s monitoring mechanism for unregulated mining. Now, illegal mining is somewhat controlled, and the local people have more capacity to monitor and take action.Although the state of the Karnali is bad, I still have hope that one day we all will realize. I just don’t want our realization to come after it’s too late. For me, there is some good that has come out of the days and nights I have spent for conservation. People know me. I have led them into bringing out their concern. I have represented them to the best of my ability. They respect me and the work I do. I have made a lot of friends and family. And maybe there are some who do not like me but that is okay. But the best thing for me is I have been able to make myself proud. I can look my father into his eyes and hug him. He too is a proud man and goes around the community telling everyone of the good work I do.”

(Mamta Rawal, Lamkichuwa 1, Kailali)

USAID NepalPaani – पानी

(Mamata Rawal is the Treasurer of Balchaur Forest and Environment Resource Development Center (BAFER – Nepal) being active at protecting natural resources in Western Nepal. With support from USAID Paani Program Mamata led BAFER Nepal mobilized local representatives and communities for the monitoring of unregulated riverbed mining activities in Lower karnali and Lower Mahakali and have become successful to promote sustainable mining and stopping illegal mining to some extent. She is a committed conservationist bring active in the areas of protecting forest, rivers and wild life. )