Myself Ms. Barsha Gurung , young person with Disabilities. To be precise I am deaf since my early childhood. I was born in rural area Nepal and lost my hearing when I got sick due to Typhoid.
My family also did my treatment in my district and also brought me to different hospitals in capital Kathmandu, but the treatment at that stage was impossible. Many people might not know that younger children can lose their hearing if they are too sick and that could be permanent, which happened to me as well.
Because of that I needed a special school which was a “school for deaf “and my father decided to put me in that school with a hostel facility located in Kathmandu. My parents were worried about me, so they decided to move to Kathmandu and started living nearby my school. They used to visit from time to time and also supported me on all school and other extracurricular activities.
Once I got basic education, I started learning many things and was one of the bright students who also used to take part in out of school activities securing 1st and 2nd position which always made my parents and teachers very proud. I completed grade 12 but as there is no deaf school/university beyond that class, so forcefully I had to stop my education.
This was also a turning point for my work in clubs and development organizations. As painting was one of my interests and passion, I started joining some organizations as a volunteer promoting and creating. Handicraft as well as paintings.
As many of my deaf friends and other friends started to get married, I selected a different path to work in the deaf sector rather than getting married at an early age. Aside from the organisation where I joined promoting handicraft, I also joined organizations such as Y-PEER who were working for the issues of young people and reproductive health. Myself being a young girl, I knew what were the issues of young deaf girls as well as what could be done to change it in a positive way.
I joined some of the orientation programs related to peer education which were further shared to other young and adolescents like me. Because of my hard work. I also got the opportunity to take part in an international event related to reproductive health issues in Thailand.
Being a disable person doesn’t mean I can’t do anything. Many people in our country think being a deaf we don’t understand anything and treat us like fools most of the time. Which I believe is wrong and I already had proved myself being involved in many things.
Me and my family are always proud of things which I achieved.
I also want to say to each of you, no one should give up their passion. you should keep pushing your dreams and achieve them by doing hard work.
I am here trying to change the world’s perspectives of “can’t to can” and reduce inequalities.
Don’t try hard to make people listen to you, always listen to your inner voice.
-Barsha Gurung (DEAF Youth Peer Educator )
NEPAL
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