Kathmandu, 22 January (RSS): Bikash Parajuli from Simaltari, Gulmi, moved to Butwal in 2065 BS(2009) for higher education. Three years later, he started journalism. 32-year-old Bikash worked for Lumbini Television in Butwal and an online media outlet in Kathmandu. He had a good grasp of investigative journalism and videography. Bikash left not only journalism, but also the country. He left the country in the second week of Poush(Dec/Jan) and went to Chile, South America. After reaching Chile on Poush, he wrote, “As I was overwhelmed by the responsibilities of marriage, family, and children, it was definitely difficult to support myself by living in a rented house in the city and working as a journalist. After feeling that I would have to think about a house and a house in the city, I came to the conclusion that I should immediately postpone my media career. After spending an energetic time in my life in journalism, I have now come from one corner of the world to the other to see if I can earn something.”
Muktiram Neupane from Ribdikot, Palpa, came to Butwal in 2062(2006) in search of work. He opened a snack shop in Butwal. When his earnings started increasing, he even brought his parents to the city from the village. The snack shop owner’s parents, wife, and children were running a family of six. After Covid, the activity of the snack shop decreased. However, as the children grew up, the education expenses increased. Gradually, the earnings from the snack shop could not support them. The same Kamal left the snack shop at the age of 36 and went abroad. He closed his business and reached Finida in the last week of December. “I did not want to go abroad during my fertile period because I was living in my own country to study abroad. I had enough to eat because I earned money. It was okay. However, the price increased a lot. The earnings here were not enough to cover the expenses from food to the education of my children. So I was forced to close the snack shop and go abroad. “With my experience here running a restaurant, I plan to work at a hotel in Finida,” Muktiram said.
It is common for people to move from one place to another or from one country to another in search of opportunities. It is also an international practice. Therefore, migration and migration in search of opportunities are considered an international issue. It is said that migration and migration in search of opportunities takes the labor, power, civilization, and culture of one place to another. It helps in the development and prosperity of that area. That is a good thing. Developed countries also buy human labor just as they export goods. If the same purchase is made to empty homes and villages, it is sad. That is what is happening in Nepal now. Homes, villages, and even cities are starting to lack youth.
In Nepal, people between the ages of 16 and 40 are considered youth. According to the National Census 2078, the youth population in Nepal is 42.56 percent, or 12.4 million 173 thousand. Youth are considered carriers of change. They are considered people with the enthusiasm, alertness, and courage to work. With such a large youth population, it is time for the country to take a leap in development and change. Ironically, according to the census data, 19.8 percent of youth in the country are completely unemployed. 36 percent of youth are underemployed. There is a need for a place and environment where youth can gather, make plans, exchange experiences, receive youth information, and review and evaluate. However, we have not been able to create such places in the country. That is why many youth are now looking for their future abroad, not in their own country. The day they get a visa to go abroad, youth have started thinking that the golden door of life has opened. Some have left their country in the name of studying, while others have left their country in the name of earning. Homes, villages, and even city markets are becoming devoid of youth.
What should be done to make the youth stay in their own country and seek a future in their own country? As the number of youth going abroad increases, such a debate is heard everywhere. However, what do the youth who are eager for the economic, social, political and cultural transformation of the country want? There is not much discussion about that. This has further increased the trend of youth migrating abroad.
Most of the youth who go for foreign employment are seen as three or four. Some of the youth have grown up in wealthy families. They are the children of landlords, leaders, and administrators. These youth go abroad for higher education with their ancestral property. More than their studies, they are concerned about how to manage there. They take the money earned by their parents there. To stop such migration, the state should deprive the leaders and administrators who make foreign citizens, not the youth, of opportunities and facilities.
Secondly, many young people migrate abroad to earn and study. Although their job is to study, their main job is to earn. They study while earning. They work and earn something. After they get more comfort and facilities than in their home country, they start the process of living there. If these young people from the middle class community can study while working in their home country, they will stop going abroad. Many young people now want to work while earning. However, there is no system in Nepal that allows them to study while earning. The government has talked a lot about introducing a program for studying while earning. However, there are no such programs for young people so far. If the federal government, state and local governments all have a system for studying and earning in the country, many young people will be prevented from migrating abroad.
Thirdly, youth leave the country for employment. Many of them are middle and lower class youth. They have gone for foreign employment after not getting employment in their home country or the employment they have received is not enough to support their families. For that, youth should be connected to employment. Employment opportunities should be created by establishing small, medium and large industries under industrial development. Youth should be given marketable skills training, self-employment and entrepreneurship training. Government grants and easy loans should be arranged to promote employment in the country.
There is no single solution to increase youth self-employment and stop youth migration. For that, governments at all three levels should identify local resources and implement policies to provide employment to human resources, and operate tourism businesses in areas that reflect geography and uniqueness. If we increase technical education and increase the employment rate of youth, we can stop the youth from going abroad with the dream of earning money to some extent in Nepal.
Many youth want to work in their own country with some new ideas and plans. For that, the state should develop a skilled labor force according to the demand of the labor market. Manpower should be produced and supplied according to the demand of the market. An environment should be created between workers and employers to provide wages according to labor. Government monitoring and inspection are necessary to develop entrepreneurship, enhance the relationship between workers and employers, and eliminate the problem of low wages. Governments at all three levels need to make youth skill, education, and entrepreneurship development programs effective. As a long-term solution, large-scale development projects should be initiated to attract youth in industry, agriculture, tourism, and information technology. To prevent youth from migrating abroad, entrepreneurial skill development training should be provided, loans for businesses at concessional interest rates from banks and financial institutions can be provided to youth who have learned skills, and employment in the country can be ensured by providing technical and information technology-related training to the youth.
If education is made scientific, practical and skill-oriented and linked to labor, the youth will not have to become unemployed due to their studies. If skill-oriented programs including technical education and employment are introduced, the youth will get jobs in the country according to their skills. If there is income according to the work, youth migration can be stopped. If the youth can be connected to agricultural production, local products can be commercialized and ‘labeled’ and ‘branded’. This can increase employment opportunities and confidence among the youth.
The role of youth in transforming the country’s economic, social and governance system is huge. Therefore, along with education that connects youth to employment, it is necessary to develop a culture of responsibility towards the country and society and respect for labor. This will reduce the number of youth going abroad in search of education and employment. By bringing back the education skills and money learned abroad, the youth can be encouraged to stay in the country and seek a future in the country. To stop the youth from staying at home, cooperation is necessary not only from the government but also from the private sector, non-governmental organizations and communities. Youth power is the backbone of the country, and all stakeholders should provide them with the right opportunities and environment in the country. The new ideas and technical knowledge of the youth should be included in the country’s development, politics and decision-making process in every sector.
