Bikash: “able to step out”

From United Mission to Nepal 2018 Project Report:

I am Bikash Dahal. I live in Itahari Metropolitician city in Sunsari. I am 27 years old. My mother is a housewife and my father does labour work in the village. I was born with a problem in my hand and foot and I didn’t walk till the age of 10 and had problems swallowing food properly.
My parents took me to various hospitals and medical centre for treatment near my village. Although they didn’t have money, they spent a lot to improve my situation. They had a hope that I would walk like any other child and play with friends. After a long journey of treatment, my family learned that I had a problem in my brain by birth known as cerebral palsy. They found that this condition is not curable.
My family took me to Itahari at the branch office of Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) Banepa where they suggested me to do regular exercise and use the support of local resources like parallel bar and sticks for sitting and walking. I continued the exercises with the support of my family members. My mother made me walk around the house using locally made mobility devices. I thought that it would be great if I could walk and support my family as I knew that my father worked hard as he went out early in the morning and came back tired late afternoon from work.
One day I heard about UMN’s partner Nepal Chelebeti Disabled Women Society (NCDWS) which works in the field of disability rights and awareness programme. I got a chance to visit the organisation and I am involved in the various programme organised by it. NCDWS provides various training and awareness programme regarding disability management, rights and opportunities for the people with disabilities. After attending various series of training, I have hope that I can do something in my life as well as for my family.
Due to my financial problems, I couldn’t afford any mobility devices to go to the community. I thought of how I could get hold of such devices to come out of the house and reach the community. I came to know that UMN and NCDWS were working together to provide such kinds of devices. I visited NCDWS office and I got elbow crutch and Personal Energy Transportation (PET) Cart which is a mobility device like a wheelchair.
Now I can go up to two to three kilometres far from my house with my friends. I help my family carry food to my father at the market where he works as a labourer. Sometimes I went to the market and supported my family to bring household materials and went out with my friends for long distances and played with them. I have hope from NCDWS for mobile repairing training and earn a bit to support my family as it is a lucrative business.
I am very much thankful to NCDWS and UMN family for taking me outside my room, making me aware of the community and bringing hope for the future. They made me feel that disabled people can also do something for themselves and their family.