Smoke In Food

The smell of smoke and grilled meat filled the busy streets of Nakhu Dobato as a hardworking woman prepared sekuwa over burning coal.

Through the thick smoke, she worked quietly while wearing a mask. Curious, I walked toward her and asked why she always kept her face covered.

With a gentle smile, she removed the mask for a moment and said, “I can’t tolerate the smoke coming from the fire and meat.” She explained that she never takes the mask off while working because the smoke becomes unbearable.

When asked whether she thought this smoke contributed to air pollution, she simply replied that she did not know. But one thing was clear to her that she could not stop doing this work.

It was the only way for her to earn a living. Behind the smoky streets and evening crowds of Kathmandu are many hardworking people whose daily survival often comes at the cost of their own health.