Maina's Life
Name:Miss Maina Suchikar
Disability: Wheel Chair bound

My childhood

I was born in a poor dalit family in a remote village, Jagatpur, in about 2027 B.S. My family consisted of five members- father, mother, brother, sister and myself. I was the youngest daughter. My parents were uneducated and underprivileged. They had to live on the small income they made from working in other's farms. My family's economic background was so much deteriorating that we could hardly keep our body and soul together. In spite of living in abject poverty, we remained happy in the family. Our happiness didn't stay any longer with us since the cruel hands of the destiny snatched our parents from us so early leaving us in agony. My father died of illness and my mother died of snake biting within a year gap. We became helpless and we could hardly sustain in our childhood. I had a memory like a sieve when I became orphan. My brother and sister reared me.

Once I had suffered from a disease for a year. My brother and sister hardly afforded to treat me in the hospital and as a result, I became disabled. I was deprived of a education and other fundamental rights since I was afflicted with a disease. I was thwarted from moving from one place to another and I was thought to be good for a nothing in the family. I had low esteem especially in a neglected situation even at home.

My present life

I have been sheltering at National Disabled Association (NDA) at Jorpati. The founder president of NDA rehabilitated me here when he met me and could hardly bear hearing the ordeals of my life. Till now, I am having a hard life. My legs can't walk properly. The bones of my legs are so fragile that they can be broken if I trip on any hard object. Similarlyh,my height is incredibly shorter. I can't sit comfortably on the bed and neither can I move without wheel chair. I have to sit on the wheel chair as if I was sleeping on the bed. My hands can't work either. I can't imagine performing daily activities without support.

Condition of the disabled children

In Nepalese context, children have been badly affected by the violence resulting from 10 years of armed conflict. Many children have been killed or maimed and many more have been traumatized and left emotionally scared. The disabled children are going through different hardships. They are savagely treated in the family and society. They are deprived of their rights and disability is supposed to be the result of their former life.

The disabled children, whose body from the waist to the feet can't function well because of spinal injury, are not admitted to the schools on account of their inability to control urine and shit. Even if they are admitted to school, their are not well treated and they are supposed to be nuisance in the classroom.

MY AIM

Bearing the plights of the disabled people in mind, I am strongly determined to help the disabled and helpless children to get education, nutrition, proper health care and protection. I want them not to suffer but to lead a life of dignity in the society. I can't remain aloof from offering my sincere gratitude to Khagendra Basnet, the founder of NDA, who became disabled while playing soccer. Mr. Basnet inspired me to invest my life in the service of poor, helpless and disabled people. I feel the great need of a shelter where the children will have free access to education and other necessities.

I am going to run a hostel, MAINA PENNWOOD SAHARA GRIHA , at Jorpati-5, Kathmandu , in coordination with a highly committed disabled and helpless group of National Disabled and Helpless Upliftment Association (NDHUA). Maina Pennwood Sahara Griha is a non political, non profitable and non governmental organization which chiefly aims:

To provide free education to the disabled children whose body from the waist to the feet can't function and who are confined to the wheel chair.

• To provide them free food, clothes, medicines and hostel facilities.
• To protect their fundamental human rights.
• To provide job oriented trainings to the adult disabled
• To enable and empower them to improve their living standard

My APPEAL

Disabled people have also inherent potentials within them waiting to blossom. We, the disabled people, don't need your sympathy but long for equal opportunities to discover and reach our potential. If we get equality for education and skills development, we can contribute to the welfare of the mankind and the country. But we need sound fund to run a hostel for the disabled children because we have only limited source.

Finally, I appeal to all the people, donors, NGOs and INGOS for your emulative suggestions, encouragement or financial support to the welfare of underprivileged and disabled people. We believe, your small aid can help them get education. Please visit our website www.disabilityhelpless.org.np or e-mail us info@disabilityhelpless.org.np, ndhuadisabled@yahoo.com for further information.