Oped»
Nowhere to go
JUL 19 -
I am writing this after going through an article by Jagannath Lamichhane about a mentally challenged man who lived on the streets in my community Chundevi (Ganeshvasti). Since Jagannath-jee has mentioned my name, I believe it's my obligation to talk about a few people who supported my efforts to find a place for Maila and get him effective treatment and care (“Nowhere to go,” July 16, Page 7).
I wrote two articles in Kantipur daily in an attempt to draw the attention of organisations willing to support Maila’s treatment; unfortunately, I didn’t get any response. After approaching a few relevant places and people, I was disappointed to find out that the state actually had no place and no plans for homeless people living with such a different mental state. During those frustrating moments, I also thought that people were selfish and nobody bothered to care about others. That frustration was reflected in my second article. Jagannath-jee, after going through that article, rightly challenged me by writing another article saying that the vulnerability of such people should not be misused by writers for intellectual entertainment.
By that time I had come to know about Aasha Deep, a non-government treatment and rehabilitation centre for the mentally challenged supported by Maryknoll. Ganeshvasti Bikas Samaj, a committee of local inhabitants and Nepal Samaj Sewa Mahila Sangh, a women’s organisation from Ganeshvasti, were ready to pay for Maila from their small fund to get him admitted to Asha Deep. But the problem was who would take care of Maila when he returned from Aasha Deep. I approached the Minister for Women and Social Welfare. The minister was kind enough to write letters to several relevant local organisations which were getting funds from the ministry. When they refused to give shelter to Maila, Minister Sarva Dev Ojha, seeing no other way out, provided a small amount of money directly to Nepal Samaj Sewa Mahila Sangh in Ganeshvasti. This action-oriented organisation of a few committed local women of this community is now taking care of Maila.
The money received from the ministry is a token, we don’t know if it will be enough for Maila to get successfully treated, but this women’s organisation and the Ganeshvasti Bikas Samaj have decided to contribute some amount from their fund too. Executive director Pravat Kiran Pradhan of Asha Deep was kind enough to provide possible support from his end as well. The members of this women’s organisation have also promised to take care of Maila after he returns. I should also remember Dr. Bed Prakash Uprety, a reputed personality living in the neighbourhood who has assured me of his help to adjust Maila somewhere after his return from the treatment and rehab centre. However, it’s not an easy task to undertake on a personal level.
This does not mean that the state’s responsibility to Maila ends here. What has been done here is a temporary arrangement for one person, a token endeavour that says, “We are sensitive and do care for our community members.” But there are more challenges lying ahead for Maila that need the support of the state and generous donors like Maryknoll. Besides, many more Mailas are still living on the streets all over Nepal. Unless the state comes up with lasting sustainable solutions, such small efforts will never be enough.
However, I am happy that in this particular case of Maila, I could become a means to pull all these ends together. But this is entirely a community effort, and they are the people and institutions who should really be thanked. While going through this process, I have developed more faith in people’s goodness. True, all people are not bad as we sometimes generalise them to be.
But what is troubling me more is that if it took me, an educated person living in Kathmandu with a long background of involvement in the health sector, almost two years to find and reach the right place (the only quality home in Nepal with limited capacity and relatively high expenses) for mentally challenged and homeless people like Maila, how can we ensure easy access to mental health information and services for the poor, illiterate and sick people of this country?
(The author is a social activist and a columnist for Kantipur daily)
Sharada Sharma
sharma_sharada@hotmail.com
Posted on: 2010-07-20 08:28
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