Bajura kids prefer shepherding to study

BAJURA, JANUARY 26

Fourteen-year-old Sita Thapa of Himali Rural Municipality, Bajura, is busy grazing sheep instead of going to school. She looks after sheep while some of her friends go to school.

Sita used to reach Achham from the lower areas of Bajura to graze sheep. She even takes her lambs to China border through Humla during the rainy season. She said she wanted to study, but had to look after sheep along with her parents.

She was born on the way to China while her mother was grazing sheep. Sita’s father Prem Thapa said there was no option but to take his children with him to look after sheep.

“She knows nothing as she could not go to school,” he said. He said that Sita could not read and pronounce even a single word.

Sita said that she was interested in studying, but could not go to school. She added that most of the girls were compelled to look after sheep and other cattle instead of going to school. “I enjoy more as a shepherd than going to the school,” she said.

Parbati Thapa, 13, has also reached Achham with sheep along with her parents. She said she had quit school after she was compelled to graze cattle. Parbati said that her younger brothers went to school while she could not.

Sita and Parbati are representative characters. Most of the children in the northern part of Bajura have left school as they have to help their parents look after cattle. The children are deprived of basic education due to this very reason.

The children could not go to schools after their parents migrated from their settlements along with the cattle. There are 400 children in Bajura.

More than 640 families in Bajura migrate to lowlands in winter.

Children from Bhote community hardly attend school for six months. People from the community do not show much interest in sending their children to school even though the governmental and non-governmental organisations spend millions of rupees in the name of quality education.

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Jane Fonda to receive Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award

LOS ANGELES: Jane Fonda cemented herself into Hollywood allure as a chameleonlike actor and social activist, and now the Golden Globes will honor her illustrious career with its highest honor.

Fonda will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award during the 78th annual awards ceremony on Feb. 28, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Tuesday. A member of one of America’s most distinguished acting families, Fonda has captivated and inspired fans along with critics in such films as “Klute” and “Coming Home.”

Fonda, the daughter of Oscar winner Henry Fonda and sister of Peter Fonda, made an impact off-screen by creating organizations to support women’s equality and prevent teen pregnancy and improve adolescent health. She released a workout video in 1982 and was active on behalf of liberal political causes.

In a statement, HFPA President Ali Sar applauded the Golden Globe winner’s decorated career and her “unrelenting activism.”

“Her undeniable talent has gained her the highest level of recognition,” Sar said of Fonda. “While her professional life has taken many turns, her unwavering commitment to evoking change has remained.”

The DeMille Award is given annually to an “individual who has made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment.”

Past recipients include Tom Hanks, Jeff Bridges, Oprah Winfrey, Morgan Freeman, Meryl Streep, Barbra Streisand, Sidney Poitier and Lucille Ball.

Nominations for the upcoming Globes show are scheduled to be announced Feb. 3.

Fonda, 83, has been nominated for five Academy Awards and won two for the thriller “Klute” and the compassionate anti-war drama “Coming Home.” She had other prominent films including “The China Syndrome,” “The Electric Horseman” with Robert Redford, and “9 to 5” with Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. She stars in the Netflix television series “Grace & Frankie.”

Fonda gained notoriety in the the 1970s when she traveled to North Vietnam during the height of the anti-Vietnam War protests and posed for photos next to an anti-aircraft gun. She fell under hefty criticism for her decision — one she repeatedly apologized for — to pose in the photo that gave her the nickname “Hanoi Jane.”

In 2014, Fonda was given a lifetime achievement award by the American Film Institute. She launched IndieCollect’s Jane Fonda Fund for Women Directors, an organization aimed to support the restoration of films helmed by women from around the world.

Fonda was arrested at the U.S. Capitol while peacefully protesting climate change in 2019, an action dubbed Fire Drill Fridays.

For her 80th birthday, Fonda raised $1 million for each her nonprofits, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential and the Women’s Media Center. She also serves on the board of directors and made $1 million donation to Donor Direct Action, an organization that supports front-line women’s organizations to promote women’s equality.

Fonda’s book, “What Can I Do? My Path from Climate Despair to Action,” released last year, details her personal journey with Fire Drill Fridays.

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Nepal to play T20I tourney in Qatar

KATHMANDU: Nepal national cricket team is set to play a bilateral Twenty20 International Tournament next month after the board meeting of the Cricket Association of Nepal on Tuesday accepted the invitation from Qatar Cricket Association.

Although the CAN did not reveal the number of matches, it said the tournament would be held under the Qatar Sports Day scheduled for February 9-12.

CAN meeting also decided to hold the national team’s close camp session from February 1.

The tour would be Dav Whatmore’s first outing with the national team after the Australian was appointed as the head coach earlier this month. The CAN board also agreed to reduce the prize money of PM Cup Men’s National Cricket Tournament by 50 per cent. The top two teams will now get one million rupees and Rs 500,000 respectively, which is half of the previous edition.

The two losing semi-finalists and player of the series will get Rs 50,000 each, while the best batsman and bowler will earn Rs 25,000 each.

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NGA begins Academy

KATHMANDU: Nepal Gymnastics Association on Tuesday launched the Gymnastics Academy on the premises of the National Sports Council.

NSC Member Secretary Ramesh Kumar Silwal inaugurated the academy amidst a programme. Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Ram Prasad Thapaliya was also present on the occasion. The NGA reconstructed the gymnastics hall which was devastated by the 2015 earthquake and decided to run the academy there.

Photo: THT

Meanwhile, the NGA also organised the gymnastics coaches’ course beginning from Tuesday. A total of 25 coaches are taking part in the course which is conducted by chief coach Rajeshwor Man Sthapit, Purna Man Bajracharya, Niru Darshandhari Dangol, Sajani Manandhar and Gune Narayan.

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Tuchel appointed Chelsea manager on 18-month deal

LONDON: Thomas Tuchel has been named Chelsea manager in the wake of Frank Lampard’s sacking, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old German, the former Borussia Dortmund and Paris St Germain coach, has agreed a 18-month contract with the possibility of an extension.

Tuchel was himself sacked by PSG in December after twice winning the French title and taking the team to the 2020 Champions League final, where they lost to Bayern Munich.

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In Pictures: Frontline health workers receive first jab of Covid-19 vaccine

Kathmandu, January 27

Seen in the pictures below are frontline health workers receiving their first jab of the Covid-19 vaccine at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, in Teku, Kathmandu, on Wednesday.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the Covid-19 vaccination drive in Nepal from his official residence in Baluwatar, this morning. The campaign officially began through a virtual announcement of its commencement from 11 different hospitals in the capital.

Director of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Dr Sagar Rajbhandari, has received the first jab at the hospital.

The India manufactured Covishield, one million doses of which have been provided to Nepal by India in aid, is being administered by the government on the aforementioned group. Covishield is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which is manufactured locally by the Serum Institute of India.

Photos by Skanda Gautam for The Himalayan Times – 

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NNIPA Sports Award next month in Madhyapur Thimi

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 26

The Nepal National and International Players Association today announced the date and venue of this year’s NNIPA Sports Award.

The NNIPA is organising the Award under the auspices of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality at Duipokhara on February 10. After successfully organising the Award at Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Tokha, Patan and Basantapur in previous years, the NNIPA joined hands with Madhyapur Thimi Municipality for this edition.

Madhyapur Thimi Municipality Mayor Madan Sundar Shrestha (second from left) speaks as Nepal National and International Players Association officials look on during a press meet in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Photo: THT

The NNIPA will reward one each male and female player from 26 sports disciplines in this year’s Award, informed the organisers at a press meet today. “The selection of sports and athletes will be based on the 13th South Asian Games held in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Janakpur in December 2019,” said NNIPA President Deepak Shrestha.

The NNIPA will declare the winners and reward them with Rs 10,000 each. “The winners will be decided as per the recommendation of their respective national associations, who will also contribute half of the prize money,” said Shrestha. The NNIPA will select one each male and female player as the best athletes of the year from among the winners. The best players will be awarded with Rs 100,000 each and Global IME Bank is the sponsor of the category.

The NNIPA has added the Rising Player of the Year category from this edition under which one each male and female athletes will be awarded with trophy and Rs 50,000 each. The NNIPA has joined hands with Sky Brand Nepal as the category sponsor for this award. US Everest Taekwondo has been sponsoring the Talented Players category that carries cash reward of Rs 50,000 each to male and female athletes.

Likewise, the NNIPA will honour an athlete with the Gajaraj Joshi Ideal Sports Personality Award along with Rs 35,000, while a sports journalist will be awarded with NNIPA Sports Journalist Award that carries a prize of Rs 25,000.

The NNIPA has formed a selection committee to pick the athletes under its Honorary President Deepak Bista, while vice-president Deepak Thapa is the ceremony coordinator.

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