A special girl-Niru

“Niru is a 8 years old girl from Arbathoka Gulmi. She has one younger sister and father and mother. Niru` family is little bit educated and not so very poor.” (Kedar).



This delightful 8 year old girl with CP was carried up to the centre every day for a week whilst I was at the centre . Her mother carried her in a shawl on her back and a friend walked with them to share the carrying. She lives a few hours away and was staying in the village in order to bring her daughter for treatment to the centre. She does not attend school as she is unable to walk and there is no other means of transport to school besides carrying by family or possibly paying a porter? There is no provision for additional assistance such as teachers aid whilst at school and no equipment . So many obstacles to accessing education which we take for granted in NZ. Her mother when asked stated that Niru wants to go to a school where she wears a tie. ( all the children wear uniforms at school and at the private boarding schools they wear a tie) . She was immaculately dressed in European clothes with hair tied in pig tails and a spirit and desire to learn that I so admired. She walked in the parallel bars and was assisted to walk with an adapted rolator walker . Her determination and smiling face was a delight to see. Kedar focused on passive movements and I attempted some occupational therapy . There were no toys, play equipment, books pen or paper, corner seats or any adapted equipment, so we improvised . I eventually purchased some pen and paper, balls, pegs and metal cups , anything I could source in the local village centre. Niru was supported the chair at the front desk with pillows and a small stool to rest her feet on and we played encouraging her to use her hands. Mark came along and initiated some informal testing by hiding a ball under one of the 3 cups and moving them around to see if she could find it. Bright girl... she located the ball most of the time . She concentrated intently on all tasks from writing her name , squeezing the pegs , stacking cups and putting balls into cups. . She loved moving the plastic rings around the wire frame, the only piece of hand function equipment in the centre ( photo) .

The next day we had just picked up a standing frame from a local workshop which I discovered you could sit in when it was turned around. I made some play dough which Niru kneaded , cut ( I adapted a plastic knife by building up the handle with some plastic tubing found in the spare room ) and she formed 8 round balls which she patiently rolled out with a rolling pin to form roti . She knew exactly what to do, probably from having observed her mother . She did not stop until all the dough had been rolled which took about 45-60 minutes.


Oh to be able to get this young girl into school. It takes money, resources , acceptance of the school in regard to disability , motivation and parental support. Even then when educated locally there are few job opportunities especially for woman who tend to either not go to school or leave early to tend the fields an animals and care for immediate and extended families. . The men have other options which have challenges. In the majority of village families at least one if not more of the men go overseas to work and send money back to support their families. Saudi is recruiting workers for menial jobs offering the chance of earning money that can not be earned in Nepal. We have read and heard stories about the exploitation of these people which is of a real concern but a fact of life for many . Some of the men are away for 10 months to a few years before they can come home.

It costs 4000- 8000 rupees a year to send a child to private school.

We are so fortunate in NZ to have access to health, services rehabilitation and education.