Two years ago International Nepal Fellowship (INF), through their community development programs changed everything for this whole family. And no, it was not through a simple handout of cash. The mother was joyous as she showed us the two buffaloes that were gifted with the help of INF’s Baglung office. Buffalo are a major source of milk and income for families in rural areas of Nepal. It was a long-term solution that would sustain them through generations and restored a sense of independence and dignity for Bimala. INF also helped Bimala apply for a pension as a full-time carer of Akash, a pension she didn’t even know the government of Nepal offered. Finally, INF also gave Bimala training and support tools that would help her to keep Akash and her family integrated and secure within her community.
At INF's Green Pastures Hospital Nepali patients, many of whom cannot afford treatment, can be found undergoing various stages of rehabilitation from disability or injury. Instead of turning away patients who cannot pay fees, the hospital has developed a 'Poor Fund' which receives donations from overseas but increasingly receives a percentage of the fees paid by paying clients who use Green Pastures Hospital’s first class facilities. The Poor Fund is yet another example of INF’s commitment to sustainability.
"You can't cry every day, you've got to get up and be strong".
Those were the words that were spoken to me by the mother of ten-year-old, Akash, when asked how she stays so calm through the storm. Akash has cerebral palsy and has no control of his body from the neck down. His mother, Bimala, must attend to his needs almost every second that he is not sleeping, forcing her into a desperate situation, being unable to work for long periods of time.
There was a time when Akash and his family of five were only just surviving with no income, no assets and no hope. The villagers in their community stayed far away from the family because cerebral palsy was seen as a burden and a social taboo. They had nothing and no one to rely on.
I also learned that true empowerment was not just sending money from oversees to provide quick solutions to local Nepali people. True empowerment means sustainability such as providing people with jobs. INF has often trained its patients to be become counselors or rehabilitation staff who then go on to help and empower others who come through the doors of Green Pastures Hospital. Providing education and helping people access welfare entitlements provides much needed relief for those struggling with disability or suffering the effects of natural disasters. INF facilitates community empower-ment and raises up community champions who will raise up and empower the next generation.
I am so thankful for my trip to Nepal with INF, being challenged and learning so much about development and aid work in a country like Nepal. It has also helped me to appreciate my own life in Australia and helped me to focus on others more than myself both at work and in my daily life. I am looking forwarding to sharing my experiences and awareness of INF and Nepal with anyone who is willing to listen.
-Angela Kim
8