Gurung woman harvesting soya beans in the millet field, Laprak, Gorkha district
Harvest time is usually around November. During my stay in Laprak, a Gurung village situated in the Gorkha district, I helped harvest soya bean. There were a few fields with soya bean plantations, but most of the soya bean plants were scattered throughout millet fields making the process of picking them quite slow. Soya beans were then put in a basket before being shelled.
Gurung boy emptying his load, Laprak, Gorkha. In remote villages, most of the children start to help their families at an early age. Laprak has a primary and secondary school, so the children who are lucky enough to be sponsored and study at school only work in the fields during school holidays. However, because parents need the help of their children, a few of them give up school before reaching high school. Currently, boys are more likely to study than girls.
Man at work, traditionally shelling soya beans, Laprak, Gorkha district.
To know more about the Gurung people, visit my recent storie about Laprak, a Gurung village where I stayed for two weeks in the village of Laprak, situated in the Gorkha district on a mountain slope at 2300m.