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Our Main Activities in 2012

Basic Need Support Service for People With Disabilities in Kholsi

receiving sanatary items

The 3 days program, Basic Needs Support Service has been successfully organized for all kind of people with disabilities in Kholsi village from the 7th to 9th of November 2012. The program was organized and implemented by Head Nepal and financially supported by the ISIS Foundation Simikot. Over 65 people with disabilities were benefited with 3 days training on awareness raising, basic health/sanitation and daily living skills. Among them, 40 people with disabilities received sanataries items and a set of new clothe including shoe. Kholsi is the one of the villages in Syanda VDC located on north-west side of the district headquarter, Simikot and which holds the 8th and 9th wards with about 70 house-holds. Most of the inhabitance of Kholsi belong to Thakuri (Kshetri) and some Dalit. As the total rate of the people with disabilities in Humla is 1801, Syanda VDC is the 4th highest VDC with 109 people with disabilities. Among them, the rate of the people with hearing impairment is 46 and it is the highest rate in the district. Kholsi alone has 30 people with hearing impairment and rest 18 is in others villages in Syanda. The official field visit of Head Nepal in Kholsi on the 4th of August 2012 shows that there are 39 people with disabilities altogether. Therefore we conducted the first Basic Needs Support service program for people with disabilities in the village.

Read more about the program in Kholsi
Kalsari B.K. receiving clothes
Session on awareness raising

Statistical Report on People With Disability in Humla 2012:

Head Nepal finally prepared a comprehensive statistical survey report on people with disabilities in Humla district on 25th of September 2012. This report presents a summary of results from the Survey of all types of People With Disability, conducted by the Woman Development Office throughout Humla district in 2010 and later a follow up survey conducted in 8 VDCs in 2011 and in 4 VDCs in 2012 by Himalayan Education And Development (HEAD Nepal) with the financial support from ISIS Foundation Simikot. This survey report is compiled, verified, analyzed and publicized by HEAD Nepal Simikot Humla. The primary objective of the survey was to understand the overall condition of the people with disabilities and their developmental status in the district. The survey report basically includes information on family, birth, disability, rehabilitation services, education, employment, profession/occupation, skill building/vocational training, and attitude of society, family and friends etc.

The summary of the findings of the survey is as follows:

In 2010 disability survey conducted by Woman Development Office Humla, total numbers of 1425 people with disabilities are reported and later in 2011 a follow up survey in 8 different VDCs carried out by HEAD Nepal shows that the numbers of people with disabilities are increased with total number of 1597. Again after a year in July 2012 a follow up survey in another 4 VDCs was conducted by Head Nepal and the result tells that there are total 1801 people with different disabilities throughout the district. Among these 1801, 1030 or (57.19049%) are male and 771 or (42.80955%) are female persons with disabilities.

When we come to the figures of different type of disability, the persons with physical impairment is the highest number with 660 or 36.64631%. Similarly there are 465 or 25.81899% persons with hearing impairment, 298 or 16.54636% persons with visual impairment, 189 or 10.49417% persons with multiple disabilities, 73 or 4.053304% persons with speech impairment, 54 or 2.998334% persons with intellectual disability, 50 or 2.776235% persons with mental disability and 12 or 0.666297% persons with deaf blindness in whole district. Similarly there are 228 or 12.65963% PWDs with general disability and 773 or 42.9206% with medium disability and this highest figure of the class of disability. correspondingly 520 or 28.87285% PWDs are seriously defected with their disability and 280 or 15.54692% PWDs are severely disabled which is the most critical condition.

39.97779% or (720) people with disabilities are reported that the cause of their main health condition (disability) was accident or injury, 35.36924% or (637) that it was by birth, 7.55136% or (136) persons with disabilities didn't know the cause of their disability. Similarly 6.163243% or (111) persons with disabilities that it was disease, illness, and 10.93837% or (197) people caused their disability due to poor hygiene, intermarriage, malnutrition, lack of obtaining vaccination, age factor, heredity, alcohol/drugs etc.

Comparing the 27 VDCs and territories using data which have been gathered from each VDCs, Thehe, Shrinagar, Kalika, Syanda have the highest disability rates with (136 or 7.55136%, 117 or 6.496391%, 116 or 6.440866%, and 109 or 6.052193%) respectively while Madana, Saya, Melchham, and Khangalgaun VDCs have the lowest rates with (22 or (1.221544%), 30 or 1.665741%, 30 or 1.665741%, and 36 or 1.99889%) respectively.

People with disabilities age between 0-18 years are reported the highest rates with 562 or 31.20489%, 541 or 30.03887% are age between 19-40. 930 or 51.63798% are unmarried and 755 or 41.92115% are married, 904 or 50.19434% belong to Kshetri, 530 or 29.4281% belong to different ethnic group, 233 PWDs are Dalit and 134 are Bahun. When we come across education and profession, 24.73535% have got an opportunity to both formal and informal education that includes common literate to university level, 617 or 34.25875% PWDs are engaged with different kinds of profession/occupation including farming, house work, business, job holder/laborer etc. Similarly 90 or 4.997224% people with disabilities have an access to skill building/vocational training and 608 or 33.75902% are reported to be participated in social/cultural activities such as party/ritual, festival, sports, cultural programme visiting relatives etc. The information has revealed that 624 or (34.64742%) PWDs) are reported to have positive attitude and 1177 or (65.35258%) are reported to receive negative responds from their family members, friends, and society.

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the HEAD Nepal office at Simikot Rural Municipality 6 Humla or call on 977-087-680216 or Write an e-mail and also Download and read the report "disability in HUmla 2014"

Setting Up a Hostel (Head Blind School) for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children:

Children in Study Room

Head Nepal has recently established a residential training center in the district headquarter, Simikot, from the 14th of May 2012. Right now the hostel is serving 12 blind and partially sighted children from the different villages of Humla. We provide the children mainly with food, accomodation, an appropriate learning environment; training in Braille reading and writing, mobility skills, daily living skills, computer literacy, communication skills, confidence building training etc. in the center. Children also follow the regular education in the local government school during the day.

Learn more about HEAD Blind School Read the Profiles of Students Enrolled in 2012
Children Having Food

Plan to construct a school building with adjacent home facilities for the blind children in Humla:

As Head Nepal and Yak Foundation set a common goal that is to construct a blind school with adjacent home facilities in Simikot, two encouraging, motivated and committed people from Holland, Mr. Herman, the chair man of Yak Foundation and Mr. Peter, from Milsky Creative Events in Holland visited Head Nepal and Simikot, the district headquarter of Humla from the 26th March to the 2nd April 2012 especially for the preparation and construction of a school building including adjacent home facilities on a specific location in Simikot. The main goal of the visit was to understand and observe the local building construction process and to have a general understanding about the overall costs for constructing a blind school and the home facilities for 20 children. Very importantly, understanding overall circumstances of Simikot/Humla including the socio-cultural situation of the people in Humla was also another purpose of the visit.

During their stay in Simikot, Head Nepal arranged different meetings for them to see and have contact with HEAD Nepal's board members, parents of blind/partially sighted children and the children themselves as well. We believe that for us and for the success of the project the support of the local community in general and the people involved in this school in particular is of vital importance and will also be an important guarantee for the sustainability and durability of the project in the future and also on the long run. In addition to it, we also organized several appointments with the local building contractors and cost calculators to get the clear image of the construction process and the cost to build the school. During this period, Herman and Peter also visited some of the local schools to know about the school education circumstances in Humla.

After almost a weeks stay in Simikot, meeting with different groups of people and community members, local authorities, etc. and observing the local circumstances, We made it very clear that our commitment and our dedication to found and build a school deserves the utmost support not only from the YAK Foundation, but also from local government and other possible donor organizations. As the conclusion of the visit, it was finally decided that Head Nepal should find a piece of land by requesting to the local government authorities and the community members and YAK Foundation should raise the fund to construct a school building including a home facilities. Both, the YAK Foundation and HEAD Nepal, are very committed and dedicated to fulfill our dream to realize a school for the blind and partially sighted children in Simikot which is indeed much needed. Any one or any organization who is interested to support this beautiful project is very welcome!

Head board members and visitors
Parents meeting march 2012
Group photo of head yak and parents

Report on The meeting with the parents of the visually impaired children

Parents meeting feb 2012

As Head Nepal has always believed in the direct participation and involvement of the associated community members in project implementation and in carrying out any activity/programme, the third meeting with the parents of the children with a visual impairment was held on Sunday, 22nd of February 2012 in the central office of Head Nepal at Simikot. The meeting was chaired by the founder/executive director of Head Nepal, Mr. Chhitup Lama and the parents of the children with visual impairment, the staffs/volunteers of Head Nepal actively participating. The meeting comprehensively discussed on the agendas below and has taken the conclusion as follows:

The Agendas:

The following are the agendas of the meeting:
  1. Update of the activities/programme that the organization has done so far
  2. Announcement of the future action plan and the programme that the organization is intending to conduct
  3. Establishment of the Head Blind School, a residential training center at Simikot
  4. Contribution of the parents and the organization in establishment of the school
  5. Formation of the fund raising committee for establishment of the Head Blind School
  6. Dateline of the next meeting

The decision:

The meeting was concluded taking the decision as follows:

With regards to the 1st and the 2nd agendas of the meeting, the founder/executive director of Head Nepal, Mr. Chhitup Lama informed everyone present in the meeting about the programme/activities that the organization has so far conducted and also updated them about the action plan i.e. the programme that the organization is intending to carry out in 2012. Some of the activities that Head Nepal has already accomplished in 2011 are the successful establishment of the Head Mobile Blind School, research/need assessment in Humla about people with disabilities in general and the children with a visual impairment in particular, making a film/documentary about the works of the organization with close collaboration with the August Picture TV Production House in Singapore, regular endeavor/try for fund raising for the establishment of the Head Blind School etc. Furthermore, the plan/programme that the organization is intending to conduct in 2012 is to set up a residential training center in Simikot to provide a more intensive and effective learning environment to the blind and partially sighted children who are attending classes in the Head Mobile Blind School, raising the fund for the programme, developing a blind friendly core curriculum and teaching methods/techniques etc. Also, one of the major projects in 2012 will be taking the primary actions for constructing a school building and home facilities for blind and partially sighted children in Humla.

Discussing on the 3rd and 4th agendas, the meeting decided to set up a residential training center based in Simikot and the parents of the children agreed to provide the food, vegetables and fire-wood for the center and the school will ensure the qualified education and learning environment to the children.

In regards to raising the fund for setting up the center, the meeting has formed a fund raising committee under the coordination of the general secretary of Head Nepal, Mr. Sonam B. Lama with the following other 6 members representing all the parents of the blind and partially sighted children:

The Fund Raising Committee: