Needless to say, they are not compensated. At night, the women and the men are separated. The stated reason is that it is improper to have men and women sleep near each other. The real reason is that, on numerous, documented occasions, the women are raped at night. Their health and their livelihoods suffer.
Families often flee their villages to escape the required service.
A former porter who escaped from being a porter and who dare not to go home any more. A villager reveals a variety of wounds incurred while being as a porter. Carrying heavy loads for many days at a time leaves many porters with abrasions such as these. Fortunately, villagers found him and saved his life.