~Sponsoring kids at DRC~

It was a sunny Sunday and Shikha and me were off to DRC to use the funds we had raised so far for the education of needy kids at Disabled Rehabilitation Center, Gokarna. We met the in-charge of the facility and we were informed about a new addition to the DRC family, Harka Magar, 11 years old from a remote village of Dang who had lost his forelimbs just a year ago in an unfortunate mishap which happened while he was playing with his friends. He had accidentally touched a naked live wire and got electrocuted. He was lucky enough to survive but he lost his hands.

After finding out about Harka, We were given a new list of the kids who were in need of help. He had to attend parents meeting for his daughter at the school where she was studying so, we were asked to co-ordinate with the coordinator didi as he hurried off for the meeting.

We talked to the coordinator didi about the kids, their education, fund-raising and operation of the DRC. Then, we headed towards Gokarneshwor School where we were sponsoring kids for education. Harka tagged along with us to the school. He looked pretty well but it had only been about a year since that mishap and one could still see that despair and shock in his face. He didn’t speak.

We talked about admitting Harka at the school but they were not sure if they could provide the environment required for Harka to study as he had special needs. So, his admission is considered but it needs more planning for a while now. Coordinator didi took back Harka to DRC as Shikha was busy calculating fees and expenses of sponsoring kids with the coordinator of the school.

We decided to sponsor 8 kids of DRC in the end with the help of Gokarneshwor School that day. We snapped some pictures with the kids at the school then we headed back to DRC and talked with the in-charge about the expenses and funds and future of the kids. We were done for today and it was time for us to head back to our life.

That scared face of Harka full with despair kept lingering in the back of my eyes. I felt like I should’ve told him something to uplift his spirit but he wasn’t speaking, he was maintaining his distance like a deer that had managed to survive a sniper’s bullet. I should’ve told him that he is no lesser than any other human being, in fact his other senses will grow stronger in order to compensate for the hands he had lost. His legs might become twice as strong and agile than it was. I hope he gets stronger with time and sets an example for the world someday.

-Tshering