Background: Previous situation:
16 years old, Bharat Mukhiya, an inhabitant of Kaudena-2, Inaruwais a son of Niras Mukhiya and Chhathiya Mukhiya. This settlement lies in the remote area of Sarlahi district, where people’s only source of income is daily wage labor. He also belongs to a very poor family. His elder brother is working in Gujrat, India and his younger brother could not study due to the poor economic condition. Due to the remoteness, people living in this settlement rarely have access to district headquarteri.e., they have poor access to resources. Bharat is a severe or profounddisability by birth, however, his parents treated him in hospital but there was no improvement, and he got a red disability card at the age of 2. Due to these multiple disabilities, he is unable to perform his daily work such as walking, using the toilet, bathing, eating, brushing teeth, etc. Since he needs one caretaker all the time, he used to lay down in bed all day and his family thinks him as a burden.
Intervention and Support:
In 2018, DFID funded ENGAGE project run by Prerana Organization with the technical assistance of VSO NEPAL and HI, started its intervention by initiating a baseline survey and he is nominated as a primary actor of the project because he was also a child with a physical disability. After participating in a technical verification camp, he received assistive devices which improves his walking. To ensure better care of him, the project organized different training to the parents/caretaker Parent support skill training, how to look after children with disabilities, child marriage, inclusive education, etc. His parents also took part in that training and developed an action plan to support him. Hygiene kit, Physiotherapy materials, Wheel chair, Grant support, the home modification was also supported by the ENGAGE Project. 5 days of goat rearing training and 2 days of business plan training will be supported by the project. He will have a visit from a physiotherapist twice a week. Because of the support from the project, he and his family have economic, physical, and social growth.
Outcomes and positive changes:
Having this support from the project now, he can do some signs, do Namaste, walk-in parallel bar, play some games, and can eat by himself which is a great change.
His parents are thankful to the organization for providing such support.
Written by –Papu Mandal (CM)
English translation by- Pooja Rgami (VSO Nepal NV Sign)
