Baglung, Jan 19: Yubaraj Kandel of Dhorpatan Municipality-1 in Baglung district, who had no physical disability at birth, broke his legs at the age of one. He could not be cured of the problem due to the lack of money, thus rendering him disabled.
He is now 50, and can walk normally only with the help of both hands and feet. Much to add to his woes, his wife and their younger son also are physically disabled. His spouse Dhal Kumari, 40, has no left hand while their 13-year-old younger son Bharat has been also suffering from bone problems. Dhal Kumari’s left hand had to be amputated when the broken arm was not reattached.
With both of them being disabled, the Kandel couple faced hard times raising and supporting themselves and their children (one daughter and two sons). When there is a will, there is a way. The couple got their niche in agriculture however.
“My wife does not have one hand. I have disability in my legs. I have to walk with the help of my hands. I found it difficult to live in the village with disabilities. So in the hopes of making the situation better for me, I moved to the city area. But the situation here was difficult too”, he says recalling the days 20 years ago. He along with his family moved to Burtibang bazaar after selling off all his property for Rs 100,000, and started a small business.
The three members of the five-member family are disabled. Only their eldest daughter and son are abled. Their abled son Bhuban is studying in 12 grades while their daughter is married off.
Bharat goes to school on crutches. Doctors said that both the father and son had been suffering from bone problems. Bharat was treated at Hospital & Rehabilitation center for Disabled Children in Banepa.
Out of Rs 500,000 spent on the treatment of their son, he collected a donation of Rs 400,000, and the remaining he himself managed, he says. He informs that their son got his leg broken six times so far. Metal implants have been placed on his left leg, but the implants could not be placed on the right leg due to the lack of money, he says.
Three plastic tunnels and some bare lands had onion plants ready for sale, says Yubaraj pointing at his farm, “I started farming because I was forced to support my family. My ancestors did agriculture in Adhikarichaur. Now Adhikarichaur village has become a tunnel village. I am supporting the family by selling onion plants and other vegetables.”
The Kandel couple have been doing the business with the help of other workers. Onion plants have been planted on two and a half ropanis of land taken for an annual rent of Rs 12,000. They produce seasonal and off-seasonal vegetables.
“I got my arm amputated due to the lack of timely treatment. When it was difficult to work in the village, we descended to the city area and opened a grocery store. The business was good. But after the birth of our youngest son, the problem increased again as he has suffered bone problems,” shares Dhal Kumari, “”We were forced to quit the grocery store for the treatment of our son. There were no one to take care of the shop as we had to stay in the hospital for three months for the treatment of our son. Now, with the help of everyone, our son is walking on crutches.”
After quitting the grocery store, they started farming to support their family, says the Kandel couple. Despite his physical disability, he has been well running commercial nursery and vegetable farming. His spouse Dhal Kumari is his helping hand.
Stating that the Rural Health Improvement Project had given Rs. 15,000 to buy onion seeds, he shares that he had earned Rs. 40,000 by selling plants produced from seeds provided by the Project. Besides onion plants, the Kandel couple has been producing beans, cabbage and cauliflower.
