My village is Connected with Road

It will be always a big event for me to go to Pemagatshel, to see Gypsum trucks plying on the motor road when I was studying at my village in the nineties. I had to always beg my father and other families to take me with them whenever they go to Pemagatshel; almost a day walk from my village with some stuff on the back. Upon returning, I would be wildly boastful to my friends who have never been to the motor road, telling stories about the vehicle's speed and its sounds, and how drivers are pulling steering at turnings. I use to confidently answer their queries though most of them are self-made knowledge fewer motor vehicles.  These days I feel shy to talk to my friends who have taken the occupation of Truck Driver from my village.

The motor road heading towards Gewog center

I remember seeing the motor road and a truck for the first time in 1995 when I was 11 years old.  I still remember the difficulties my parents have faced to reach me at school, walking for two days and returning home three times a year: beginning, mid, and end of the year. I believe my self that those difficulties resulted in some of my friends dropping from the school after passing primary school based in the village. 

I remember that the village meetings used to be dominated by requests for the motorable road in the village. People have been requesting the government since the early 80s for the road. Some people would urge leaders to take this issue with the government. Village people would not know which sectors' officials are visiting in the village, they would go asking randomly the reason for denying road after the road surveys for several times since 1984. I 1984 I was born to this village and my countrymen's seemed to be requesting for this long.  

The road has finally come to my village in September 2012 after 28 years of first road survey in my village. The villagers are worth being connected since their hard works on the farm went into vain as there were no means and possibilities to sell the farming products in the market without a motorable road.  Now I can see the relief and enjoyment in their faces and in fact old people couldn’t believe themselves traveling in a car when they are visiting like hospitals and other places. It is a long dream come true for the people of Kengkhar Gewog.

Now people from the village living in other parts of the country have started to visit frequently and people saw coming projects and financial assistance for the preservation of 13 Traditional Art and Craft which is popular in the village. I am sincerely praying that the traditional art and craft once-popular is on the verge of dying to be revived with the connection of motor roads. Younger generations refuse to learn it from old folks given there is no market for them to sell the product even if have skills. As an initiative of one of the projects, the villagers celebrated 2012 National Day with farmers from Samtse, Zhemgang, and Tsirang to promote cultural exchange which brought new ideas to the villagers. Had there been no motor roads, such initiatives would not have happened. 

I saw my friends who are driving trucks and villagers are now busy exporting oranges during the winter season [visited parents and relatives in the village in 2012].   I am happy to see that people do not have to carry oranges on their back to the nearest motor roads as we did in the past.  I can already see positive transformation of the livelihood of people in my village due to the road. God bless them always!