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

in Kathmandu! . The woman who had been se 1 ec t ed as a t ra iner in ward 6
was a Kami, an impressive symbol of the social goals of the project.
She was asked to speak on behalf of all the trainers following the
supervisor and one of the organizers.
The distribution of certificates, presented by the pradhan DG-c, was
a very jol !y affair. When the name of a woman was called, that woman
stepped up to the table in a storm of clapping to receive her
certificate from the pradhan ~a-c, The woman namask6r-ed him and
sometimes did the same to the assembled participants. Some (not Yakha)
did a litt!e dance as they returned to their seats. Over 260
certificates were given out in a!l, an indication of the high !eve! of
participation there had been across the whole panc6vat. The affair
ended with the pradhan ~6-c giving a short speech, while people behind
him ta!ked (as usua!). After this most of the women began to disperse,
those with the furthest distance to go leaving first.
I thought that was it, but afterwards a bench and table was set up
with powder and garlands at the ready, The Kami woman, who was
obviously quite moved by the whole event, called everyone over for a
special ceremony of thanks and farewell to the project organizers. All
the women around assembled and covered them with powder, garlands and
flowers, It was obvious that the women and their supervisor had
developed close relations wi th members of the community. Afterwards, I
was inv! ted with the BNMT workers into a room beside the general store
where the headmaster' s mother- in- !aw cooked her meals. The Kami woman
sat outside, One of the organizers tried coaxing her to come in, but
she would not: this was a Brahmin's kitchen and the renter would have
been furious. There was therefore a ! imit to how much old values could