THE YAKHA: CULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN ...

tended to use 1 ocal sources. The nego t ia t ion of loans appeared to be
men's business. Many women claimed not to know how many loans their
household had outstanding, although most knew the main ones.
Some families had up to 50,000 NRs in debts. Often these debts were
inherited, and once the loans exceeded 30,000 NRs there appeared to be
little chance of ever repaying them. Such people found it increasingly
difficult to get more loans. They were also unlikely to benefit
positively from a family member migrating in order to gain an income
elsewhere because this would do nothing but pay off the loans already
outstanding,
Considering the high levels of poverty in the community, it was
surprising how few people were totally indigent, Of course, those that
were might have left the community a1 together. The occupants of two or
three households within Tamaphok were recognized as having no assets and
needing to beg for food. One of these was a couple where the man was
widely regarded as having gone mad. He had apparently ordered his wife
not to plant maize on their small piece of !and that year. Others in
the misn's family were more wea!thy, but it was noticeable that in the
circunistances, these near relatives did not appear to help overmuch,
Perhaps there was a safety mechanism operating here, since to have been
over-helpful to poor kin in these circumstances would have risked
opening a flood-gate by making it acceptable for people in difficulties
simply to 'give up' and rely on the charity of their relatives.
5.5 Conclusion
This chapter has looked at the physical, social and economic
structures of the household environment, In a1 1 three areas,