Father of 19 makes good family planning counselor

JAJARKOT, Feb 8: A health worker in Jajarkot, part of whose job is to spread awareness about family planning, has 19 children.

Man Bahadur Budathoki, a rural health worker associated with Thalaunkar Sub-Health Post under the District Health Office, travels from village to village encouraging people to have just two children. But he is himself a father of 12 sons and seven daughters.


Budathoki, has been working in the health sector since 1990, counseling villagers about family planning. Had all his children survived, he would have 26 children today. Seven of them died very young.

A permanent resident of Durpala, Surkhet, Budhathoki has two wives. He had five sons and four daughters by his first wife, and seven sons and three daughters by the second wife.

Budhathoki, 59, also has 18 grandchildren.

He said he was the only child of his parents, and his own first two children died, making him very fond of children. Another reason why he has so many children is that his wives first gave birth to a number of girls, before finally giving him boys.

He said that he did not opt for family planning as an astrologer told him it was a sinful practice.

Budhahoki´s neighbors say that it is his wives who are more responsible for the large family. They say the two wives competed to have sons, thus leading to so many children.

Budhathoki, whose work brought him to Jajarkot from Surkhet, says he is now ashamed of returning to Surkhet. He plans to live in Jajarkot for the rest of his life. He says his own children ask him why he did not opt for family planning and he regrets not having made the right decision on time. He is often chided by his children for the difficulty in running the family.

Dr Jhalak Sharma Gautam, chief of District Health Office, said Budhathoki is a good family planning counselor. Gautam said Budhathoki has suffered from not having opted for family planning and he can counsel others from experience. He tells villagers not to make the mistake he made.

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