For three generations, the Harijan family lived in a thatched house without any legal right to the land. Every monsoon brought leaking roofs, flooded floors, and the fear that one day the river might simply sweep everything away.
Standing in front of a new bamboo house in Sunsari District, eastern Nepal, 17‑year‑old Om Kumar Harijan finally spoke of a different future.
“The new house is stronger than our old home,” said Om, a Grade 11 student and the eldest son in his family. His father is working in Saudi Arabia, so Om looks after his grandmother, mother, and younger siblings. “From the new home, it takes only five minutes to cycle to school. If we keep up the payments, in four years we will get the land ownership.”
Om is one of 100 families who received newly built “Great Love Homes” in Koshi Province, through a joint project between the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation and the Forum for Rural Women Ardency Development (FORWARD).
Families move from risk to stability
Sunsari District lies in a remote part of Nepal’s Koshi Province. Here, many Dalit families—historically placed at the lowest rung of the caste system—have long survived in fragile huts made of bamboo and thatch.
During the rainy season, roofs leak. When floods come, entire homes can be washed away. With little money and facing entrenched discrimination, some families have resorted to building on government land or in forest areas, always worried that eviction or disaster could arrive without warning.
Although Nepalese law prohibits caste-based discrimination, Dalit communities still report being barred from public water pumps, excluded from some public spaces, discouraged or blocked from inter-caste marriage, and often unable to purchase land in their own names.
Against this backdrop, the completion and handover of 100 permanent homes marks a profound change. On October 31, 2024, Tzu Chi and FORWARD finalized construction and held an official handover ceremony on November 25.
The homes are spread across four local governments in Sunsari:
- 40 homes in Gadhi Rural Municipality
- 30 homes in Barju Rural Municipality
- 16 homes in Inaruwa Municipality
- 14 homes in Duhabi Municipality
For these residents, receiving keys and land documents is about far more than a new roof. It is a first, tangible step toward legal security and social dignity.
“Now we own our home, our well, our toilet”
At the ceremony in Gadhi Rural Municipality, residents came dressed in their best clothes. Musicians played traditional Tharu instruments, women and youth performed folk dances, and families brought out plates of bhakka—local steamed rice cakes—to share with guests.
LEFT: Om Kumar Harijan (second right) explains that it takes just five minutes by bicycle from his new home to school, and his family will have land ownership after four years of installments. RIGHT: Tzu Chi Vice President Pi-Yu Lin (left) conveys Master Cheng Yen’s blessings for all families to live safely and work peacefully for generations to come. | Photos: Anish
Along with the house keys and land papers, each family received practical daily necessities: two blankets, 25 kilograms of rice, five liters of cooking oil, and two shawls.
For project coordinator Govinda Chaudhary, who works with FORWARD, the day was deeply symbolic. For many families, it was the first time they had held any legal document with their name on it.
Dalit residents have faced discrimination for generations. Now they finally own their land, their home, their water pump, and their toilet. In this Great Love Village, everyone is equal. There is no discrimination.
—Govinda Chaudhary, Project coordinator of FORWARD
Built for both the earth and earthquakes
Sunsari’s traditional homes are usually built with untreated bamboo and thatched roofing. While affordable, they deteriorate quickly in the heat, rain, and insects, and offer little protection in floods or earthquakes. The new Great Love Houses were designed with these risks in mind.
LEFT: Forty Gadhi Rural Municipality families gather for the Great Love Homes handover ceremony. RIGHT: On handover day, each household also received two blankets, 25 kilograms of rice, five liters of cooking oil, two shawls, and their land ownership certificate. | Photos: Anish
According to Govinda, all bamboo used in the project was treated for water and pest resistance to increase durability and structural strength. Exteriors are coated with cement plaster, which helps reduce indoor temperatures during hot months and adds another layer of protection. Every house includes:
- A treated bamboo frame with earthquake-resistant design
- Cement-plastered walls
- A 60‑foot‑deep well for safe water
- A private, attached toilet
- Electricity connections
- A registered land title for the family
The timing has been especially meaningful. Two weeks before the ceremony, heavy flooding struck the region, affecting 14 families. Three of those families saw their old homes washed away by the water.
At the ceremony, Tzu Chi Vice President Pi-Yu Lin (林碧玉) shared that, given the recent floods, the completion of the Great Love Homes felt timely for the affected families—offering them a safe place to rebuild their lives.
Local volunteers accompany the community
Two days before the handover, certified local volunteers Tulsi Narayan Matang and Rishikesh Mourya arrived early in Gadhi. Residents greeted them like old friends.
LEFT: Local volunteer Tulsi Narayan Matang carefully prepares relief items, bringing a sense of warmth and familiarity to the villagers. RIGHT: Project coordinator Govinda Chaudhary says the families’ new homes and land signal that everyone in the village is equal and free from discrimination. | Photos: Anish
Tulsi joined villagers in painting the Tzu Chi logo on the walls of the new homes. For him, it is a gentle reminder rather than a brand. “With the logo on the house, villagers will remember that Tzu Chi will continue walking with them,” Tulsi said as he worked.
Outside, Rishikesh climbed ladders to hang small plaques inscribed with Jing Si Aphorisms—short lines of practical Buddhist wisdom taught by Master Cheng Yen. “Every house has a different phrase,” Rishikesh explained. “When villagers walk by, they see Master’s words and can learn from them.”
LEFT: The Tzu Chi logo painted on the walls symbolizes a long-term commitment to accompany the residents. RIGHT: Volunteer Rishikesh Mourya hangs a unique Jing Si Aphorism on each house, so families can see and reflect on the teachings in daily life. | Photos: Anish
When children gathered curiously around him, Rishikesh put down his tools and began explaining the simple Nepali phrases on the plaques—lessons about kindness, diligence, and gratitude.
Vice President Lin later shared her thoughts: even if some parents cannot read well, their children will read the aphorisms aloud at home, allowing the short teachings to quietly guide each family as they start life in their new house.
From leaking roofs to doors that lock
For families who have lived in thatched huts for as long as they can remember, small features of the new houses—like a solid door that locks and a roof that does not leak—represent a deep sense of safety.
Many of these residents had grown up expecting that floods, storms, or social exclusion would continue to shape their lives. Now, with legal land rights, sturdier homes, and basic facilities, they can think not just about surviving the next rainy season, but about planning for their children’s education and livelihoods.
One hundred Great Love Homes cannot undo generations of hardship. But for Om, for his grandmother and younger siblings, and for the many families now holding their own land certificates, the change is concrete and immediate: a secure home, a recognized address, and the dignity of belonging.
In Sunsari’s new Great Love Homes, the sound of rain on the roof no longer means fear. It is simply part of a night’s sleep in a house that will still be standing in the morning.
Written by Anish, Jennifer Pai (白如璐)
