Sapana Roka Magar, currently involved in the Action for Social Change Project, is listed on BBC’s 100 most influential and aspiring women in 2020. She delivers the final rites of unclaimed bodies and cremates them.
The BBC included her on the list because she helped perform Dagbatti for unidentified bodies during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite being 18 years old, she is doing a tough job, which is unacceptable for a woman in society.
This year, the BBC has included Sanna Marin, the prime minister of Finland, Sarah Gilbert, the scientist leading coronavirus vaccine research, and Janes Fonda, two times academy-award-winning actress.
Sapana Roka Magar is the only Nepali woman to get featured on this list in 2020. Last year, Bonita Sharma, an innovator, was included from Nepal.
Sapana Roka Magar’s Tragic Story
Sapana was born in Bukeni, Barnja, Myagdi. She is only 18 years old but has suffered a lot. According to Shilapatra, “Sapana was once a drug addict. She used drugs with her friends for sixteen months.”
Sapana’s mother wanted her to become a doctor. But because of the economic condition, Sapana studied nursing.
However, after some time, she dropped out of college and discontinued her studies. After that, Sapana fell in love with a boy – and married him. But their married life continued only for three months.
Sapana Roka Magar decided not to go home – but to wander around the streets of Kathmandu. Once, Sapana decided to attempt suicide, she told.
Sapana’s Life’s Turnaround
After contacting Binaya Jung Basnet, president of Action For Social Change, who is cremating bodies for six years, she decided to work with him. She went to Bir, Maharajgunj, and other government hospitals to take the dead bodies.
In February, Sapana cremated the first body of a woman of her age, who had an infant wrapped in the plastic.
“The movement to cremate the girl of my own age is a [challenging] task for me. Tears were rolling down my eyes, and my hands and legs were shaking in fear when cremating the body. The infant was also buried in the forest across the Bagmati River as per Hindu tradition,” she said to The Rising Nepal.
Since then, she has performed the last rituals of around three hundred unclaimed bodies. She doesn’t hesitate to touch the smelly dead bodies – and continues her work selflessly.
Sapana Roka Magar also feeds more than a hundred homeless people through her organization. Furthermore, in the future, she wants to continue helping street children and old homeless peoples.
Despite COVID-19, she hasn’t stopped working for a single day. Sapana is not afraid of any virus – only she fears the mentality of some people who find her work disgusting.
Women are forbidden to go to the Aaryaghat in Nepali culture. But she wants to change the mentality of Nepali people by doing the last rituals.
Sapana believes one day, people will understand the importance of those who work rigorously and cremate the dead bodies in Aaryaghat.
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