Coronavirus stories from Nepal: #RealLifeHeroes working on the frontline

In our last blog, we shared some stories from people in Nepal who’ve benefitted from your life-changing donations to our Coronavirus Emergency Appeal.

During COVID-19, your support has enabled us to reach out to protect the world’s most vulnerable people. But none of this would have been possible without our hardworking and dedicated in-country teams and partners on the ground.

The Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA) are one of our incredible partners working to deliver vital support to people with disabilities and their families in the poorest communities in Nepal, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this blog, you can hear from some of the amazing frontline workers and see their life-saving work in action.

Puja, Project Coordinator, NDWA

“This situation has significantly affected persons with disabilities. They have been confined to their homes. It has mostly affected those people who are dependent on daily-wage work. Their daily activities have been highly affected and they are struggling to manage for a daily ration of food and other supplies. Their economic situation has been worsened due to COVID-19. Moreover, we found that people with spinal injuries have been affected highly. They are finding it difficult to arrange urine bags, catheters etc. as nearby medical shops are closed.

We have a network of local self-help groups formed by persons with disabilities. We have been in contact with them over a telephone and they inform us about the challenges they are facing and their need for the moment. We are seeing a rising number of Corona cases in the area. There is also a lack of awareness in communities. All of them can’t afford to use sanitizer etc. but we see many on the street even without a simple mask. So it is quite risky. The main challenge we noticed is the food. Local municipalities have also not been able to provide enough support.”

Nila, Project Coordinator, NDWA

“People with disabilities are highly affected by this situation. Many people with disabilities used to work on a daily wage basis to support their families. They have been hit hard by this situation as they have lost their employment opportunities. Likewise, many persons with disabilities need to take a daily dose of medicines. Many of them are now in the stage where they cannot afford to take medicine. They are being neglected by their family members too. This has risked many lives as well. 

We are now busy with relief distribution efforts with the support of CBM… We have formed self-help groups comprising local women with disabilities and are now conducting our activities through those self-help groups. This is a challenging time but people with disabilities are getting more affected so we need to reach out to them. It would not have been possible to reach out to the needy in the communities without generous support of CBM.”

Anita, Senior Community Mobiliser, NDWA

“The current Corona crisis has affected us all. Persons with disabilities have been highly affected by this… I have been working for the people in need while facing challenges posed by this situation and taking necessary precautions. The government has also provided support but the support they provided is not enough. People with disabilities have been left out in the relief distribution process by all levels of government. Their need has not been addressed properly. We have been advocating for them to be included in the government relief and awareness-raising efforts as well.”

Jayanti, Community Mobiliser, NDWA

“Our regular program activities stopped due to Corona. I was not able to contact members of the community physically. I try to make contact with them by telephone. People with disabilities in this community are facing problems. They are economically impoverished. They don’t have enough land for agriculture. They have not been able to conduct their regular activities. For example, those who have shops are not able to open them. They are living hand to mouth…  The number of Corona cases is rising and more people are coming back from abroad as well. I think this lockdown situation will continue for some time.”

Here are some of the daily activities being carried out by Puja, Nila, Anita, Jayanti and the rest of the NDWA team in Nepal:

Travelling to remote communities

Packaging supplies for each individual

Wearing protective gear to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Setting up stations in communities for people to come and get relief packages

Visiting people at home to provide relief packages

If you missed it, you can read Part 1 of this blog series and hear from people with disabilities in Nepal, who’ve been receiving vital aid from CBM and our partners.

Find out more about CBM’s COVID-19 inclusive response.

Top image: Members of CBM’s partner the Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA), wearing face masks and preparing to deliver emergency relief packages to people in need.