You never know how strong you are...

We have featured this story as it is not uncommon in Nepal; single mums facing terrible odds and with no support for looking after their children. In Shard’s case the added difficulty of a ‘special needs’ child.

IGWR-Nepal has come up with a beautiful solution, and one that might set an example to create a “village” of care to support mums and vulnerable children; her story is told as we received it.

Sharda’s Story

You Never Know How STRONG,

You are until being strong, is the only choice you have!!

Sharda Basnet, is mother of two kids Samikshya and Sadikshya. She is 33 years old now. Her hometown is in Ramechhap. Recently, she lived in BaluwaKhani, Kapan. She stays with her two daughters and one younger brother. She was forced to marry when she was just fourteen and gave birth to first child at age of seventeen. And after two years she gave birth to another child. She is now a single mother for both her daughters.

Her husband turned out to be chronic drunkard and used to abuse her; he was killed in Malaysia 4 years ago.

She tolerated a lot, but after she couldn’t bear it anymore, she left the two kids with her mother-in-law and went to Kathmandu where she stayed with her aunt (mother’s sister) at Nilo Pul and found work in hospital as a cleaner.

She got a call from her mother-in-law that her youngest child Sadikshya needed special care.

Then she returned to her village and brought her girls back to Kathmandu with her.

Sadikshya is a special child, and she needs a special care; but her mother had to go to work, and she could only lock her in room when she was out working.

Sharda tried to get Sadikshya enrolled in a school, but Sadikshya got rejected from it because she needed a special school where she could be properly cared for. Then Sharda came to know about “Special Education and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children” [SERC], however that was too expensive, and Sharda could not afford the fees.

IGWR heard the story and contacted Sharda, and with the help of supporters we got admission for Sadikshya in SERC.

Now, Sadikshya has developed and is both quite smart and able to speak properly. After some months, we also enabled Sharda to enroll her elder daughter (Samikshya) in School.

It has been 10 years now since IGWR-Nepal have supported these two girls, the elder daughter is in grade 12 and Samikshya stays in Special School as complete boarder.

Now mother and two daughters are doing quite well; however, being a single mother Sharda has had to face many problems and obstacles. She says sometimes she would just like to die; life is so hard; but she has jumped every hurdle.

IGWR has another special child, Reecha Balika, and to give the best care to both special children we are planning to foster Reecha to Sharda and she will be a caring mother to her. She understands very well the needs of this child as she is a wonderful mother to her own special child.

IGWR-Nepal has worked very closely with the family and has received expert advice to determine if this is a good initiative.

We have come to conclusion that this will be brilliant project to run as all girls will receive proper attention and care in the context of a loving family, and Sharda can fulfill her role as mother without the added burden of needing work outside the home.

Please consider sharing with us, become part of the 'village' that cares for this family.

This is a 'lifetime' commitment of loving and caring, and it will take a number of us to give this beautiful family the support they need.

We look forward to those will become of the IGWR 'village' and who will share in making a difference, and when we see the difference we can make, then we too are changed in a beautiful way.

Please click to see how you can help.