“It has been more than two decades working as a street vendor around Dharahara area. Though Dharahara has turned into ruins, I am still working here and I love to watch people. My son does not like me working but it’s my work that keeps me engaged and absorbed. My work gives me a good night’s sleep which I would not get otherwise,” says 73-year-old Laxmi Chettri.
Souls of my city
Originally from Jhapa and now living at Naradevi in Kathmandu, Chhetri is a mother of three. She began to work as a street vendor after her husband got fired from his job at Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) when Girija Prasad Koirala was Nepal’s prime minister. She recalled, “When my husband was alive and working, we travelled to countries like Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Thailand and more. He got fired without any reason. I started this business and this too shocked him. He suffered from depression that led to his death. It’s my small shop that keeps me busy.” She says she never feels bored with her life as she is engaged and feels blessed to be alive.
