Rows of clean mud houses, decorated in traditional styles and surrounded by flowers and small kitchen gardens with hand-pumps, pigsties, and hen houses, create a beautiful scenic view of the Sonaha settlements in Rajapur Municipality and Geruwa Rural Municipality of Bardiya District. The Rajapur Sonaha community also features Sonaha-Tharu Home Stays and a Sonaha-Tharu Museum. Small children head to school in neat uniforms, adults cycle to nearby markets to sell their goods, and women busy themselves tending their gardens, adding to the hamlet's charm. Although the Sonaha people, who have around 70 households in the district, are now well-settled, they were living a semi-nomadic life just a decade ago.
One can hear stories of how the Sonaha people were forced to sell their land to elites at scanty prices during the land reforms of the 60s, due to threats that the government would take their money through taxes if they owned land. This contributed to their marginalization and deprivation. As their traditional occupations—gold panning and fishing in the lower Karnali delta—began to be seen as hindrances to the conservation of the river and forest ecosystem, the livelihood and survival of the Sonaha people came under threat.
Commencement of support
In 2010, GNI Nepal began supporting the Sonaha community by sponsoring the education of 17 children, focusing on the well-being of children. Within a decade, in 2021, the number of sponsored children reached 184. To help Sonaha people adopt stable livelihood and settled lifestyle, and to ensure their children’s well-being, GNI Nepal is supporting them in livelihood, health, and WASH under GNI Nepal’s Bardiya Community Development Project.
Suguna Sonaha says, “My son, Ashish Sonaha, was also a sponsored child. Now, he is studying for a bachelor’s degree at Rajapur Campus. As illiterate and poor parents, we were not much concerned about his education previously.” She pauses and adds, “Thanks to GNI Nepal, he has been able to continue his studies. We also received support to start peanut farming and earned over NRs. 50,000 per season.”
Community organization
While other communities had already organized themselves for advocacy and development, the Sonaha people had not yet done so. Recognizing the need to unite them for their overall well-being, GNI Nepal helped create income-generating groups for the Sonaha people. In 2012, GNI Nepal also played a role in establishing the Sonaha Development Organization, which has been working to uplift underprivileged communities by focusing on children.
Shanti Sonaha, Chairperson of the Sonaha Development Organization, shares, “The Sonaha community in Bardiya District started receiving support from GNI Nepal in 2010. At that time, our community was in a vulnerable state in terms of education, health, social standing, and economic stability. In 2012, we formed the Sonaha Development Organization, and since then, GNI Nepal has been working with us to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities in the area.”
The Sonaha people received assistance to form income-generating groups and were provided with technical skills, veterinary support, and irrigation facilities for their livelihood activities. As a result, they began growing cash crops such as peanuts and raising hens, pigs, and goats. Some individuals received vocational training in occupations like barbering, driving, masonry, and carpentry. Kamal Sonaha, a community member, shared that after receiving barber training in 2017, he started earning more than before.
To ensure financial access for the community’s livelihood development, GNI Nepal facilitated the establishment of the Sonauta Cooperative in Ward No. 1, Rajapur Municipality, Bardiya District, in 2016. Initially, the cooperative targeted the Sonaha people only but later opened to other communities as well. The cooperative covers 154 households as members, with total capital of NRs. 43,686,137 and loans amounting to NRs. 3,155,845. Out of the 47 recipients of start-up support, 25 are Sonaha from the Rajapur area. GNI Nepal supported them in starting micro-enterprises such as pig, buffalo, goat, poultry, and peanut farming, as well as retailing, through technical skills training, onsite coaching, and business plan preparation.
Ram Bahadur Sonaha shares that the cooperative has made the community aware of savings and credit services, such as the process of taking out a loan. He added that some community members have engaged in income-generating activities with subsidized loans and grants from the cooperative.
Culture and tourism promotion
The Sonaha community boasts a unique culture. Their picturesque village is located in the lower Karnali belt, bordering the famous Tikapur Park. Their relationship with their neighbors, the Tharu community, is so harmonious that it exemplifies coexistence.
Recognizing the potential for livelihood development and cultural conservation through tourism and hospitality, the Sonaha-Tharu Homestay and Museum was established in 2021. Currently, eight homestays have been set up with support from GNI Nepal, which provided construction materials and technical expertise for managing the homestays and museum. The Lumbini Provincial Government and Rajapur Municipality also supported the museum’s establishment, contributing NRs. 800,000 and a glass showcase.
Local tourists come to stay in the homestays to enjoy rural life and scenic views, especially during the winter season. Hira Sonaha, a member of the Sonaha-Tharu Homestay and Museum Development Committee, remarked, “We don’t have land for farming and we lack farming skills due to our year-long involvement in fishing. However, we can attract tourists with our unique culture and beautiful scenery. We are confident that these newly built homestays and museum will be profitable for us.”
Health, hygiene, and sanitation
The Sonaha people traditionally led a semi-nomadic lifestyle, with little emphasis on hygiene or access to healthcare facilities. Nearby, the Daulatpur Health Post offered healthcare services, but they were initially unaware of its existence, relying instead on traditional herbs and healers. However, following GNI Nepal's engagement with their community, they became aware of the importance of utilizing healthcare services. With support from GNI Nepal, the introduction of a birthing center at the Daulatpur Health Post led to a significant increase in institutional deliveries.
Parvati Baraili, a 52-year-old resident, reflects "When I married a Sonaha man and came to this community, it was vastly different from my own. People lived nomadically, lacking knowledge of housekeeping, child education, or hygiene. Both men and women were largely illiterate; there wasn't a single literate person.” She adds, “Only after GNI Nepal intervened did children start attending school, toilets were built, hand-pumps installed, kitchen gardens cultivated, and various income-generating activities undertaken."
Melahi Sonaha, aged 70, adds, "Previously, women in our community gave birth at home. Now, pregnant women visit hospitals for check-ups. Our houses and villages were once littered and unkempt, but now you see clean homes and villages. Every household has a toilet and tube well."