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 Gurkhas.com Initiatives
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Gurkhas.com team wishes to share two great news update with our dear visitors. With the continuing support of advertisers to this website, we have been able to hand over Rs. 30,000 to the Independent Living Centre for People with Disabilities in Pokhara Nepal. There is only one such centre in the whole western Nepal region, and its main co-ordinator Mr. Hem Bahadur Gurung (also a son of an ex-Gurkha and himself disabled) is a living example of one who practices 'simple living, high thinking' principles on a daily basis. Amongst the disabled people in Nepal -whose rights, wishes and feelings are often ignored by the masses, the society and the government- he is perhaps most well-known for his tireless work in pressurising the government of Nepal to recognise and ascertain citizenship rights of people with disabilities. Indeed, despite often threatened and abused by the authorities, whilst overlooked by the educated and elite, his dedicated team (from Kaski) successfully teamed up with other disability advocacy groups in the country to compile a nation-wide data of disabled and critically disabled people in Nepal, and was finally able to pursuade the Nepalese government into releasing a ring-fenced budget so that all those registered as critically disabled could get monthly benefits from the government of Nepal with the help of their disability identity cards, from last year (2010)onwards. Although the benefits only amount to Rs. 1000/month =£8.50, this is a small positive step forward from the time before when there was nothing at all.
In a society where disabled people are often looked down upon as a 'burden', Mr. Gurung is an example to us all that physical disabilities are no barriers to great achievements. To us, he is one of the unsung heroes of Nepal.
Mr. Gurung has assured us that the sum handed over will be utilised to run interaction programmes on disability issues so that respective stakeholders in Nepal are kept/made aware of their responsibilities towards people with disabilities.
Secondly, we are ecstatic to learn that as per our vision when we first helped set up the Hatemalo Embroidery Boutique under the guidance of Independent Living Centre, Pokhara, the two bahinis -Sita Biswakarma and Angela Tamang are now running the boutique independently. This is great news as rather than giving people 'donation', we believe in enabling people with the skills to earn their own livelihood and live with their head held high within their own communities. We have learnt that their professionalism has earned them a regular clientele, hence ensuring good monthly incomes for both of them. Hence, they no longer have to look towards others for help but are both self-sufficient in their own right and are even contributing financially towards the education of their minor siblings. What's more, bahini Angela even got married recently to Mr. Kamal K.C.!
We're sure our whole Gurkha community will join us in congratulating the team behind Independent Living Centre, bhai Hem Gurung, and of course, our two bahinis Sita and Angela on their great effort and achievements. Long may their successful entrepreneurial venture continue, and may Angela and Mr. Kamal have a long, happily married life together.
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Our very own Milan dai, who had recently gone to Nepal and has brought us photographs of the Independent Living Centre, Hem bhai, and Sita and Angela bahinis. To view the pictures in large size, please click once on the image below.
We have also brought over 15 sarees made by Sita and Angela bahini; the photographs of those sarees will be uploaded very soon by Milan dai. Hopefully in future, our didi bahinis in UK will buy sarees made by our own disadvantaged didi bahinis in Nepal for a fraction of the cost of regular embroidered sarees imported from elsewhere. Not only will we be able to save our own money, but it will bring huge moral boost to our bahinis in Nepal -and who knows, in the long-run may benefit the country economically too!)
Yours Sincerely,
-Santosh, Milan, Nina, (Mani -our new member and videographer)
BELOW: HATEMALO BOUTIQUE CREATIONS BY JAN 2011
HATEMALO BOUTIQUE UPDATE IN AUGUST 2010
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS...MAY 2010
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