The endangered Raute community has urged the government to ensure food supplies, safe housing and livelihood opportunities.
Minister for Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security Sita Badi, who visited the Raute settlement at Namra in Bangad Kupinde Municipality-1, Salyan, pledged to take initiatives to address the community's demands.
During her visit, Minister Badi met and held discussions with members of the Raute community. She also interacted with children to learn about their living conditions, problems and needs.
During the discussion, Raute Chief Dil Bahadur Shahi requested the government to provide food and other essential daily necessities to the community. Similarly, Raute young woman Samjhana Shahi urged the government to ensure that they could live in safe housing like other citizens. Another community member, Gajali Shahi, also drew attention to the various problems faced by the community and called for initiatives to address them. Minister Badi said she would take initiatives to ensure a market for and purchase of wooden products made by the Raute community using their traditional skills. She pledged to prioritise the community's problems and needs and incorporate them into future plans and programmes.
Expressing concern over the living conditions of Raute children and other community members, she said she would coordinate with the concerned authorities to address the challenges they face in their daily lives.
For the health, sanitation and social integration of the Raute community, Social Service Centre (SOSEC) Nepal has mobilised four personnel, including two health workers and two social mobilisers. SOSEC Nepal Chairman Hira Singh Thapa said the organisation had been working in the areas of healthcare and social protection for the community.
A total of 130 Rautes, comprising 71 females and 59 males, currently live in the settlement at Namra in Bangad Kupinde Municipality-1. Of them, 51 are children and 23 are single women, according to the details provided.
Welcoming Minister Badi to their settlement, Raute children also presented her with a token of love bearing her name. In recent years, Raute children have shown growing interest in literacy.
