Bardiya: A team of 27 foreign citizens hailing from France, Sweden, Scotland and England have arrived at the Kamaiya settlement of Bardiya to construct low cost houses for the freed bonded labourers.

The volunteers from abroad constructed the building for the families of the single women, children, elderly and disabled. Yagya Prasad Majagaiyya, treasurer of Radha Krishna Tharu Public Service Center, informed that 39 houses will be constructed at the cost of Rs. 3.9 million.

The team of 27 persons that included 19 women and 8 men visited Janatanagar where they would construct buildings for the freed Kamaiya. "Nepal is a beautiful nation and the people here are more beautiful but they are in trouble and have been suffering owing to several problems" said one of the members of the volunteers’ team who visited.

With the view to make the relationship of their respective nations with Nepal and its people stronger and to extend their helping hand to the people in need, they visited the area, she said.

It is the second visit of the team to the freed Kamaiya settlement where foreign volunteers have contributed in constructing houses for the Kamaiyas, she told.

They visited the Radha Krishna Tharu Public Service Center and Tesanpur freed Kamaiya area being assisted by the Action Aid of Bardiya and contributed with the voluntary labour for a period of six days to construct the low cost houses, said Prem Chaudhari, an official of Action Aid.

Teams comprising individuals ranging from 23 to 72 of age have been coming to the area to provide their volunteer labour for uplifting the freed bonded labourers . A total of 299 houses have been constructed at Dhanaura, Bhagtpur, Jainpur, Barabigha, Prakashpur, Rampur tole, Tesanpur and Janatanagar of Bardiya district from 2003 with the help of free voluntary service from the foreigners.

The volunteers visited Jantanagar to complete 39 houses which were left incomplete last year, said Yuva Raj Shrestha, a member of Radha Krishna Tharu Public Service Center.

Source: Rising Nepal (2010),"Foreigners helping to construct houses for bonded labourers ", Rising nepal,30 Nov 2010