Along the mountainous slopes of Himalayas Mountains, where civilization rarely exist, poor Nepal stands idly. From the Philippines where I live, I heard the shaking woes of the tortured creatures there. Yes they are spoiled inside the cage; so much slaved by the huge chains of discrimination, pampered with bitter lullabies of curse, and controlled by the spell of evil. I know why these weak creatures never chant symphony. For them what they have is nothing but a hopeless future. Now these disabled Nepalese children are abandoned. Can you hear their lamentations?
I've just known about the abused children of Nepal when I browsed the web and typed the word “poor” in the search box. Perhaps, Nepal being one of the poorest countries in the world is extremely notorious for its big number of disabled children. To this problem adds the insurgency- the fact that most of its people are subsistence farmers. The majority of the population has not had any formal education that comprises of about 61 percent illiteracy rate (Boyce, William et al). Most intriguingly the predominant Hindu culture there promotes a view of disability as a punishment for sins in a past life. It becomes clear then that life for the disabled children is going to be harsh and hell-like.
Reality came face-to-face with me as I accidentally encountered a typical family from Nepal with their three disabled children here in Manila, Philippines. The three perfect victims were moaning as desperate as a hungry lion in search of a prey. At first I could not have recognized these three as children because they look like an experimental animal, probably a combination of monkey and frog. Due to the sympathy I felt for this rejected family fresh from Nepal, I gave them a loaf of bread and three fruit juices in tetra pack. But I damned myself! Those relieves were not even going to reach their churning stomach. Suddenly my teardrops start to explode. I'm sorry I could not render permanent help. Then I ran…
The other day I came back carrying with me some clothes, toys and blankets to the exact place I last catch a sorrowful glimpse of the family. I don't know why a huge flock of people were gathering around the one I am looking for. I walked closer. My God! I saw a group of rotten flesh lying on the ground with legion of flies conquering their decaying body. The three disabled Nepalese angels were scorched by the wild dogs! Their own blood- their parents- abandoned them. Is it because of the scarce food I offered them yesterday? Or they no longer want to nourish the malnourished and cursed blessings they received from God? Nobody knows.
It was then that I realized the genuine root of all these horrific chaos. With approximately 40 percent of Nepalese who live below the poverty line of US$12 per person/per month, where else could the disabled children find their rescue? Like a hamburger, they are tossed between the curse of pat beliefs and the poison of poverty. No ordinary Nepalese like them can even give a hug; for they are all busy tilling their own lands for the struggle to fight for their future survival. How can the disabled children find a sanctuary if all their endeavors and even their family are devouring their physical, emotional, intellectual, and sexual rights?
Indeed poverty impedes disability. With lesser money comes lesser antidote. The poor disabled children in Nepal cannot afford the hospital treatment, which is sadly under improvement process, the rehabilitation and follow-up home visitation cannot even remove a pinch of ache from their hearts. Can you imagine that most of the most of the disabled infants born in Nepal were abruptly undergoing euthanasia or mercy killing? As what Article 23 in the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child flawlessly states, “children with disabilities have the right to enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitates the child's active participation in the community (UNICEF). Does it means they are to forbid from getting along with other ordinary people? Absolutely no… no matter how poor and strange they are.
There is no one best way to eliminate the impact of poverty to the disabled children. It is permanent. Should they be accepted in the public and achieved independence from all the chains of intensified poverty, marginalization, and rejection by then this little thing shall set them free.
