Rajendra Shiwakoti

"My name is Rajendra Shiwakoti, and I am from Nepal. I have been living in Portugal since the beginning of 2020.”

Rajendra is a fundamental element of the BOWING project. As a translator, mediator, and musician, he has been part of the team since the beginning of 2022. He plays a crucial role in translating and bridging different cultures, introducing new participants to the project through his contacts in São Teotónio and Odemira.

“When I arrived in Portugal, I was working in agriculture and stayed in that job for one year. One day, while I was at the hospital recovering from Covid-19, I noticed that many people from India, Nepal, Bangladesh were having difficulties communicating with the nurses or doctors. I decided to help them by translating what the patients were feeling and what the doctors were advising. It was obvious to me that they were misunderstanding each other, and I could easily help in those situations. Everyone came to know I was interested in this kind of role. I told them that back in Nepal, I used to work for an NGO helping people who were in need. I explained what my job used to involve and told them I wanted to leave agriculture and do something social here, in Portugal. They spoke to Câmara Municipal de Odemira, and not long after, they contacted me and got me an interview. Now I work as an intercultural mediator.”

As a musician, Rajendra accompanied BOWING sessions on percussion, offering the rhythm of movement and a warm atmosphere to the spaces. From the second year, his relationship with the project intensified, and he began attending all sessions with adults.

“I help people from different parts of the world, mainly from Asian countries like Nepal, India, Bangladesh, who don’t speak Portuguese or even English. I offer support in getting their legal documentation, guiding them through those processes. I work in public service establishments like at Social Security, the Health Centre and in schools. At the moment, we are in much need of more mediators in Odemira; we are only three, and we need at least 10 more.”

Rajendra tells us that he often accompanies and supports migrant families in registering their children in Odemira, babies who were born in Portugal and have portuguese nationality. He says that every week he accompanies many families in this process and a new population is truly being born in Alentejo.

“What I observe every day is that people arrive here with the wrong information, mistaken about the reality and the Portuguese laws. It’s not their fault; they are told lies, and the wrong information is getting to these countries. They are told they will get a good job, a good salary, a nice house, and that they will get their residency card within 6 months (you need at least 2 years for that, if you are lucky). They believe they will earn enough money to send back to their families and pay back their loans. They leave everything behind because they don’t know what is actually happening here. To come here people pay around 10,000 euros each. Most of them have to ask for a loan from a bank, a family member, or a friend. They pay huge amounts of money until they get here. When they arrive, a whole illegal system is operating - a lot of fake contracts, fake proofs of address, fake documents are being sold. People are left with no option so they have to pay.”

In January 2022 Rajendra accompanied us to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to participate in the conversation “From intensive culture greenhouses to the walls of a prison,” giving his testimony as a migrant, mediator, participant, and collaborator in the BOWING project, also providing the soundtrack for the event with his drum. He spoke about the difficulties and challenges that these populations face when arriving in Portugal.

“In one single house you have 30 to 40 people. In front of my house there are 38 sharing the same space. They have one bathroom and one kitchen, no conditions in the house. This has to be controlled. The Portuguese government should be aware of what is happening here, and if they are, they pretend they are not. We need more inspection, more strict rules, more houses, and the right information needs to pass to these countries. We have to stop the entities and people who work together to spread the wrong message and financially benefit from that. There are too many people, not enough resources to deal with their needs. Because of the lack of water, there is a lack of work, as agriculture is not producing much. This is why you see so many people unemployed, homeless, and facing big mental health problems. Some people are dying now, committing suicide. They are stuck; they don’t have money or a job and a lot of loans to pay back. And every day there are more and more people arriving… What most impressed me in BOWING was your commitment, how hard you worked to bring change through art. I wanted to be part of this, to get more involved, learn and bring that change too. I am now part of this BOWING family and I thank you for that.”

In the 2021 show, Rajendra delivered a powerful speech in Hindi on the balcony of an abandoned building. Down in the street, people received the translation on paper and looked up in astonishment. Rajendra appealed to acceptance and hospitality among cultures. He called for an end to fear.

“I still remember those words I said in my speech at the balcony during the first BOWING show; they were so important for me: “We are not here to fight; we are here to build our future. Don’t worry, learn about our culture, and we will learn about yours.” This was a lesson, exchanging cultures and knowledge, getting to know about Portugal and teaching about my own country. You changed my way of looking into this culture and into Portuguese people. For that reason, I am now in love with this soil, this land, this country."”