Beyond reconstruction, building a settlement where people choose to live

Gumsipakha, in Laprak of Dharche Rural Municipality, Gorkha, is more than a remote mountain settlement. It is an ancestral homeland of the Gurung community, shaped by generations of social relationships, cultural traditions, agriculture, livestock, natural resources and collective life. Its homes, landscape, cultural practices and community institutions remain central to local identity and belonging.

Yet an important question is emerging. Why are younger and economically active residents increasingly reluctant to live permanently in Gumsipakha despite their strong ancestral, cultural and family ties?