Ganesh KC

CIL Kathmandu held an orientation program on July 4, 2022, for persons with severe disabilities. The program was organized to edify the participants on important issues, provisions, and services offered to persons with disabilities. The program also helped boost the motivational aspects and personal well-being of the individuals participating.

The program was conducted at Shital Chautari Restaurant, Baneshwar. Around 35 people with severe disabilities attended the event facilitated by disability rights experts and campaigners. The program was organized under the support of Kathmandu metropolitan city for the residents of Kathmandu metropolis.

The first session, facilitated by disability rights activist and general secretary of CIL, Mr. Ganesh KC, focused on the rights of PWDs and the major documents of disability rights including the UNCRPD. He shared the knowledge of the historical background, importance, and relevance/applicability of CRPD to the present context of Nepal. Similarly, the ensuing session that was facilitated by Mrs. Anita Ghimire, the member-secretary of the national disabled fund, emphasized the services/facilities entitled to persons with disabilities.

Dev Kumari Parajuli, disability campaigner and physiotherapy expert guided the attendees on maintaining physical and mental well-being and remaining motivated despite disability in life in her session. The final sitting was a motivational orientation on activeness and social contribution through the activities like sports. President of CIL Kathmandu, Mr. Tek Bahadur Gurung shared his experience and knowledge on the importance of sports and physical and mental well-being as well as social and national contribution via sporting activities.

All the sessions were followed by group discussions and interactions with experts’ responses to the doubts and queries of the participants. The participants were pleased with the activities and knowledge shared in the sittings and were committed to enhancing their life further henceforth.

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On July 3, 2022, a program on capacity enhancement for Parents of Persons with Disabilities was organized by CIL Kathmandu for the primary caregiver and parents of persons with profound and severe disabilities. This program was organized at Shital Chautari restaurant, Baneshwor, Kathmandu. In this program total of 35 participants were present.

In the first session disability campaigner and hygiene and therapy expert Devkumari Parajuli talked about the strength, attitude, positive viewpoint, contribution, and role of the primary caregiver in the lifestyle of Persons with Disabilities. In the second session, President of the Parents Federation of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PFPID) legal expert Mukundahari Dahal discuss legal provisions and policies related to Persons with Disabilities.

In the third session disability activist and Member-Secretary of the National Disabled Fund, Anita Ghimire shared the provisions regarding facilities, primary health, education, and opportunities provided for persons with disabilities, which are on paper but have challenges in implementation.

At last Ganesh K.C general secretary of CIL-Kathmandu talked about concept, Independent Living, assistive devices, and services for Persons with Disabilities. And the program was ended by the commitment to cooperation and continuous contact with each other.

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CIL conducted a 2-days presentation and interaction with the representatives and the officials under Kathmandu metropolitan city on important issues and concerns of persons with disabilities. The introduction to the national and international policies, provisions, and legislation was also included in the orientation. The sessions were conducted for the ward representatives and officials of all 32 wards within the metropolitan were oriented on the following day of the program.

The program was organized on 29th and 30th June 2022. 50 participants attended the orientation program held at the hall of Kathmandu metropolitan city where representatives of CIL and the department of social development of Kathmandu metropolitan were also present. The sessions were facilitated by Bhawani Kapali and Shanta Poudel from the department of social development and Ganesh KC, the disability rights activist and secretary general of CIL Kathmandu.

The session by Mrs. Kapali focused on the categorization of disability as said by the Act on rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2017, and the issues of them. She then linked the levels of disabilities with the provision of disability identity cards and the issues found to date during the distribution of disability cards. The session also highlighted some key roles of local governments to ease the life of PWDs in their administrative territory.

Another session that was facilitated by Santa Poudel explored the legal provisions, acts, policies, and programs of the state regarding the PWDs. The discussion also outlined the provisions mentioned in such documents, highlighting the roles of local Governments to address those provisions.

Finally, the constitutional provision on inclusion, non-discrimination, and equality of persons with disabilities was presented by Ganesh KC. He identified several areas where the rights of PWDs have been properly mentioned in the country’s supreme law. The interaction also identified the gaps in documentation and implementation and discussed the roles of local agencies in breaching the gap.

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On 26th and 27th June 2022, CIL Kathmandu conducted a two-days orientation on basics of investing in the stock market. The program was successfully completed in coordination with Samriddha Nepal Lagani Samuha Pvt Ltd (An investing company run by the PWDs) where more than 50 PWDs participated. The sessions were facilitated by accessible investing promoter and stock market trainer Parbat Raj Bishta and his team.
The program was organized to empower and promote self-employment and financial independence of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the program also focused on importance of investing as source of income and moreover the role and importance of investing in the stock for people living with disabilities. The orientation program was organized under the project of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) of Kathmandu metropolitan city. Additionally, The realization that for being actively participated and integrated in the community as others, the economic independence carries greater importance, the program on accessible income was organized. For the PWDs.
The first day of the training included the introduction to the stock and stock market, the importance of investing in the modern era, the issue of accessibility and the role of investing in responding to it, stock for the PWDs and possible financial independence that can be absorbed from stock market. Then, the interaction focused on ways and processes to enter into the share market. The first day of the program covered almost all the pivotal elements of primary stock market.
In the following day, the trainers began the sessions with the review of the learnings of the previous day and involved the participants in the discussion and sharing. Then, the attendees were introduced to the secondary stock market and guided with the necessary steps and measures to have access on trading and investing the secondary stocks. The participants were also alerted in the risks and chances of huge losses and regression, and were provided some key factors to consider before selecting a stock that is before entering and exitting from a stock in the market.
In both of the days, the sessions were interactive and they were closed with proper discussion, feedbacks and questions&answers.
In the formal closing, the distinguished guests from the metropolitan and the organization gave positive and encouraging remarks to boost the economic self-reliance of the PWDs. Similarly, the disability right activists also raised the isue of possible favours and supports from the Government to ease the access of PWDs in investing. The trainees were also pleased and motivated to extend their financial growth and become independent.

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From – June 24 to – July 4, CIL Kathmandu engaged in home visit program where the team of CIL traveled to different homes of the individuals having profound disabilities (those people whom the regular activities/interactions is also quite complicated despite the support of their attendant or caregiver because of their disabilities). Ten different houses were visited within the Kathmandu  metropolitan wherethe team properly observed, interacted and consulted with the people themselves and their caregivers and exhaustively reviewed their conditions and problems in order to make some recommendations and pressurize the governments and the concerned bodies in regards of people with disabilities of such kinds. 

The project was carried out under the financial support of Ministry of Social Welfare – Bagmati province through the Kathmandu metropolitan city. The home visit program was led by Krishna Dahal, where the counseling service along with minor aids to comfort their daily living like, hygiene keats, energy drinks and food stuffs, etc were also provided to the person visited.

The visits and discussion focused on boosting the motivation and psychological well being of the individual struggling out of their physical/psychological condition and their primary caregiver who needed to spare their full time for overall caretaking of the individuals. Meanwhile, the sittings also outlined some problems faced by the individual and the family, the services/amenities enjoyed as the part of the right by the individual and the family, cause and impact of the physical/psychological impairments on the family and finally the expectations/suggestions to the state and the responsive agencies towards the people having the profound disabilities.

The parents and the primary caregiver identified various issues that directly corresponded with the problems and challenges faced by the disability experiencer and their members of the family. Many of the families reported that the complete impairment didn’t allow them to be mobile and active in other activities and economic gain. This in turn was found to be creating pressure on financial strengths of families. Similarly, the expenses of the disability survivors was also found to be higher as compared to other ‘normal’ individuals. The problem of not having an alternative caregiver, facility of therapies and medical care with considerable discounts and also at their own residents were put forward by the guardians. Additionally, the difficulty in communication and understanding of their needs, expectation and condition was also repeatedly found since, many of the people with disabilities had multiple functional impairments. The families also drew our attention towards the predicaments experienced dring the attainment of disability identity card and the services like allowances. The Government bodies were found to be indifferent towards their issues and forcing them to present the survivor to their agency, which was almost impossible and highly costlier for the families to arrange the traveling of people who had complete impairments.

Almost all the families reported that no services except the regular social security allowances were provided. Only a very few have rarely received some energizers and hygine keats from the local Governments and the non-government organizations. Almost all the caregivers, especially the parents, were found anxious about the future of their children with disabilities. They seemed concerned on the negligible possibility of any support and rehabilitation from the state after their demise. 

The families expected for the provision of trained caregivers and also for the caring and rehabilitation centres where the persons with disabilities could be provided the services/facilities they required. The people with disabilities also wanted further financial assistance to manage their daily needs and handle their families. Some also expected to be prioritized on employment opportunities from the Government, so that employed non-disabled person could take care of the family well. Many wanted that the responsive/responsible agencies be understanding and considerate and wished that the services like, identity card and allowances would be provided without any torture. Finally, they wanted the organization like ours to regularly follow and cooperate with them to boost the condition of the disability survivors and their family conditions.

The counseling and comforting provided to the people were also proven effective. The families became happier and more motivated to support their member with impairments and the individual was hopeful to lead as much active and happy life as s/he could within the restriction of his/her condition.

Note:

Considering confidentiality, the names and pictures of the visited homes, the families and the individuals with disabilities have not been publicized.

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