Kathmandu, March 24:

Gopal Pokhrel, who exchanges coins at Ratnapark area, claims that he has been in the profession for the past 22 years and has been raising his family of four alone.

Once a schoolteacher, Pokhrel said he quit the teaching job because his salary was very low and took to exchanging of coins, which gives him as much as Rs 250 per day.

He said: “My kids attend college and I am able to bear the cost from what I do. I have managed to run my family,” he said.

He generally starts his work at around six in the morning and continues till late in the evening and gives change for money ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 1,000 and takes five to six per cent as commission.

Though officially not recorded, people making their livelihood by exchanging coins at the bus stations and tempo stands put their numbers at around 500.

They can be found in places including Sundhara, Ratnapark, Kalanki, Lagankhel, Jawalakhel,

Old Bus Park and other bus stops. Drivers of public transportation vehicles including buses, microbuses and tempos are their regular customers and general people seldom go to them.

One Hari Chandra Shrestha sits at the tempo stand at Sundhara every day from 6 am to 7 pm, with pile of coins, waiting for someone to come to him asking for change.

He said: “I am married and studying at the Intermediate level. I started the profession five years ago and I am managing to run my family.”

He said recurring bandhs and strikes are a curse to their profession.

“It is very difficult for me to do other works due to my hunched back, so I chose this profession,” he said, adding that his elder brother completed his studies from the money he earned by changing coins.

The business has not only sustained people involved in it, but has also helped the operators of public vehicles. Ram Prakash Dhimal, a safa tempo driver, said people like Hari Chandra and Gopal have helped meet their need for change money.