Gravity works for Nepalese farmers living in poverty
“My life was hell. I had no money, I sold almost everything just to survive and then my illness meant I had large medical bills. I didn’t know what to do. I had lost all hope” said Gyan Ghale.
A food crisis is currently gripping Nepal. Chronic drought and erratic weather conditions have destroyed some harvests and food prices have risen by 18% in the last year alone. Recent estimates suggest that around 3.6 million women, men and children are grappling with a severe lack of food. One in three people exits on less than £1 a day.
The isolation of the villages in Nepal means that getting crops to market can be exhausting and dangerous – and it is usually women and children who carry these heavy loads down treacherous, winding dirt tracks. When it rains or there’s a landslide, it’s completely impossible to take goods to market. In winter months, families are forced to go without food.
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We are building gravity ropeways to bridge the gap between poverty and hope
It used to take three hours to carry a 120kg load of vegetables down a steep mountain path, with a gravity ropeway they take less than two minutes to cover the same distance.
Depending solely on gravitational force – using no external power – gravity ropeways are simple and inexpensive to operate, as well as environmentally friendly.
Two linked trolleys, on pulleys, run on separate 10mm diameter steel wires which are suspended from towers: when the full trolley comes down, pulled by the weight of its load, the empty one goes up. Then the process is reversed. The trolley’s progress is controlled by another, 8mm wire, looped over a flywheel. A wooden drum break, with bearing and bracket governs their speed.
Gyan's story
Gyan is 45 years old, and lives in Devisthan village which is nestled in the mountains of western Nepal. For many years he was plagued with debt and serious health problems. Mounting bills, expensive medical fees and a hungry family to feed pushed Gyan to the very edge – and he was on the verge of taking his own life.
“My life was hell. I had no money, I sold almost everything to pay the debts and then my illness meant I had large medical bills. I didn’t know what to do. I had lost all hope.”
Although Gyan tried to make a living by growing and selling tomatoes, providing for his family was a constant struggle. Gyan’s village isn’t far from the roadside, where traders come to buy produce, but the walk is a perilous one, as the path is narrow and lines the mountain’s rocky edge. By foot, the journey can take a whole day and Gyan’s tomatoes didn’t secure good profits even when they reached the market as they were then not fresh.
“We had to sell our vegetables for a very low cost as the market traders knew we couldn’t carry the loads up the mountains again, so we were forced to sell our goods at their mercy.”
But the installation of a gravity ropeway has transformed Gyan’s life. Now goods can be transported in under two minutes and his tomatoes arrive fresh and undamaged!
Gyan has since leased more land and planted maize and tomatoes together. With the help of the ropeway, he has earned a profit, which has now enabled him to pay back most of his debts. He now plans to get proper medical treatment and hopes to buy a small plot of land on which to grow more vegetables.
“This ropeway has helped all of us earn a decent income and improved our living condition. For someone plagued with disease and debt this kind of income is truly a blessing.”
We have already trained over 4,000 families to build and maintain gravity ropeways, but we urgently need to construct five more to help over 1,000 women, men and children.
Help today people like Gyan, in Nepal and all our projects across the world today.
£24 could pay for 29 metres of 10mm steel cable
£58 could pay for 70 metres of 10mm steel cable
£83 could pay for 100 metres of 10mm steel cable
Your gift could change the lives of isolated villagers across the world
Help us with a one time, or regular donation:
