Disability does not mean inability
Understanding disability
“When I was in my early teens, about 13 or 14 years old, I got a fever and was diagnosed with typhoid. And that’s how I lost my vision,” said Resham Baram, 34-year-old, vendor from Gorkha. He lives in Jorpati with his wife who is also differently abled and two children. He is the sole bread winner of his family. “After I lost my eyesight, I stayed at home for five years and all I did was just lament about my condition,” he recalled. “However, one day I decided to come to Kathmandu and treat my eyes. The doctor in Kathmandu told me that it was too late for treatment and I am now blind.” It has been more than a decade now since he first came to Kathmandu. He took different trainings such as candle making, artificial flower making, singing, et cetera. “I used to sell candles but I usually end up losing some of the candles. And I had to pay the office for the missing ones. Nevertheless, I did not lose my hope and one of my friends supported me to start my own small shop here. Life is a journey full of struggle where you have to walk on the right path to make it worthy,” he added.
