KIDNEY

Kidney Village

Hokse is popularly known as ‘kidney village’ which is located around 50km from Kathmandu because many locals have sold their kidneys mainly due to poverty. DhurvaPariyar(58) and his wife SabitriPariyar(45) live in Hokse. Dhurva sold his kidney for 1000 USD but he only received 500 USD. Sabitri was forced to sell her kidney by her ex-husband but Sabitri didn’t receive a penny. Both Dhurva and Sabitri were taken to northern India for surgery. The ‘Nepal: organ trafficking after the earthquake’ published in Lancet (2016) claims that 94% of kidney transplantations of Nepalese donors were done in India.

The earthquake in April 2015 destroyed the mud-stone house of Dhurva and Sabitri. The couple then lived in a small tin hut which they shared with the family of Dhurva’s sister. The same hut was shared among the cattle for the night and during rain. In 2017 Dhurva and Sabitri received NPR 300000 as a relief fund from the government of Nepal to rebuild a house. Luckily the couple received a top-up grant of NPR 300000 from an organization. The total amount was spent to build a one-story brick house. Dhurva sometimes finds labor work while Sabitri washes dishes in a restaurant in a nearby town. The couple takes a combination of medicine on a regular basis against pain and weakness. This photo story has been created in collaboration with Dhurva and Sabitriin 2018.

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27October 2018

A part of Hokse popularly known as ‘kidney village’ in Kavre district, Nepal. After the earthquake in 2015, many locals lost their houses therefore started living in tin huts. 

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28 November 2018

Dhurva (middle) smokes a cigarette sitting next to his brother-in-law (left) in front of Dhurva’s tin hut in Hokse, Kavre. Dhruva’s sister is approaching from behind. Dhruva’s tin hut is shared by his sister’s family as well.

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15 September 2018

Sabitri carries goat-dung after cleaning the tin hut. A small space on the right part of the tin hut is shared with some cattle at nights and during rain.

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29 November 2018

Dhurvashows his scar made after the kidney removal surgery.

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23 September 2018

Dhurva shows medicines which he and his wife take regularly against pain and weakness. After the kidney removal surgery, the couple say they feel tired, weak and cannot work like before. 

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28 October 2018

Sabitri prepares a morning meal in her tin hut.

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27 November 2021

A red-roofed house in the middle belongs to Dhurva and Sabitri. The landscape of Hokse‘kidney village’ has changed with the newer one-story brick houses.