- Joined
- Aug 12, 1999
- Messages
- 64
Namaste all!
I thought it might be of interest to you to learn how I pay my men. I will use the Kumar Bishawkarma Special as an example.
Kumar came to me and said, "Pala, I want to make a khukuri out of this old file."
I said, "Kumar, that file is not big enough for a khukuri."
Kumar said, "Pala I want to make a different design, a lightweight khukuri that is fast and quick and well balanced. Maybe your American customers will like it. It is worth a try."
I said, "Alright, Kumar. What is a fair price for this khukuri?"
Kumar named his price which was reasonable so I paid him. I always pay in advance. Not like here in the US where a man must first do the work to be paid. I do it backwards, pay the man and then he must do the work.
If the quality of his work is poor he must do the job again for no additional pay. If the quality is to the standard that both he and I know it should be another assignment is given him and he is paid again. If the quality is exceptional (Kumar went to extra effort on this knife, doing the fine hatchwork on khukuri, karda and chakma, and did a very good job overall) as it was on the Kumar Special he will get a bonus.
In addition to the pay, I give food, money, clothes or whatever might be needed to kamis who might be having troubled times. If a kami gets sick I send him to the doctor or hospital and get medicine for him (our health insurance plan). I often loan money to kamis who might need something extra like tuition and books for children's school. In short, I look after the kamis as though they were my own children and perhaps this is why all of them call me Pala. I think some of them do not know my real name.
I have a young son of a kami, Prakash, who is an assistant to me and Gelbu who lives with me. One of his duties is to open the shop every morning at 7AM and he has done this everyday since we opened and has not missed a day or been late a day. I look after him like he was my own son. He saves his extra money and gives it to his parents who are old, frail and not very well.
I open the shop everyday at 7 and close at 6 -- seven days per week. If the kamis want to work the shop is there for them to work. If they do not want to work they do not have to. Interestingly, all the kamis are waiting every morning for Prakash to open the shop. They never miss a day except for perhaps a wedding or a funeral. They are very happy they are able to work and earn a little money and I am very happy that I can offer them this opportunity.
Shop 2 is now meeting the needs of about 60 people and these are people who might be hungry without the work they do in shop 2. It is not my doing that they have food, clothing and shelter. It is your doing, my customers, so to you all our kamis say DHERI DHANYABAD and I can tell you they mean this most sincerely.
------------------
Pala (Kami Sherpa)
Owner, Himalayan Imports
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
I thought it might be of interest to you to learn how I pay my men. I will use the Kumar Bishawkarma Special as an example.
Kumar came to me and said, "Pala, I want to make a khukuri out of this old file."
I said, "Kumar, that file is not big enough for a khukuri."
Kumar said, "Pala I want to make a different design, a lightweight khukuri that is fast and quick and well balanced. Maybe your American customers will like it. It is worth a try."
I said, "Alright, Kumar. What is a fair price for this khukuri?"
Kumar named his price which was reasonable so I paid him. I always pay in advance. Not like here in the US where a man must first do the work to be paid. I do it backwards, pay the man and then he must do the work.
If the quality of his work is poor he must do the job again for no additional pay. If the quality is to the standard that both he and I know it should be another assignment is given him and he is paid again. If the quality is exceptional (Kumar went to extra effort on this knife, doing the fine hatchwork on khukuri, karda and chakma, and did a very good job overall) as it was on the Kumar Special he will get a bonus.
In addition to the pay, I give food, money, clothes or whatever might be needed to kamis who might be having troubled times. If a kami gets sick I send him to the doctor or hospital and get medicine for him (our health insurance plan). I often loan money to kamis who might need something extra like tuition and books for children's school. In short, I look after the kamis as though they were my own children and perhaps this is why all of them call me Pala. I think some of them do not know my real name.
I have a young son of a kami, Prakash, who is an assistant to me and Gelbu who lives with me. One of his duties is to open the shop every morning at 7AM and he has done this everyday since we opened and has not missed a day or been late a day. I look after him like he was my own son. He saves his extra money and gives it to his parents who are old, frail and not very well.
I open the shop everyday at 7 and close at 6 -- seven days per week. If the kamis want to work the shop is there for them to work. If they do not want to work they do not have to. Interestingly, all the kamis are waiting every morning for Prakash to open the shop. They never miss a day except for perhaps a wedding or a funeral. They are very happy they are able to work and earn a little money and I am very happy that I can offer them this opportunity.
Shop 2 is now meeting the needs of about 60 people and these are people who might be hungry without the work they do in shop 2. It is not my doing that they have food, clothing and shelter. It is your doing, my customers, so to you all our kamis say DHERI DHANYABAD and I can tell you they mean this most sincerely.
------------------
Pala (Kami Sherpa)
Owner, Himalayan Imports
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
