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Wacalea helps people with mental problems in Nepal. (2019- )

 

The project that the Wacalea Foundation is currently committed to is the Nepalese organization KOSHISH. KOSHISH is a pioneer in Nepal in the field of mental health and persons with psychosocial problems. This video explains why and what this organization does.

On this page we describe how the life situation of people with psychosocial problems is in Nepal, how KOSHISH came into existence and what they do and finally for which a financial contribution is required.

 

Living with psychosocial problems in Nepal.

In Nepal the treatment of persons with psychosocial problems is bad. In many cases they are mistreated, isolated, locked up in cages or left on the street. This is mainly due to the existing misconceptions, unfamiliarity and stigmas about mental health. In many cases, individuals and their families who are dealing with psychosomatic problems are discriminated against and treated as an outcast by society. The majority of the population has no insight into mental health and mental well-being and believes that these diseases cannot be treated. For example, they often go to traditional healers who try to make the individual better by smoking them out, singing religious songs or beating them. Moreover, all social-economic barriers are present in Nepal. Nepal is a traditional, patriarchal country with the history of natural disasters such as the 2015 earthquake, ten-year armed conflict and the political unrest that leads to the instability of social reforms. As a result, there is little attention from the government and the population for this target group. Because of all these reasons, many people with psychosocial problems experience a great fear of being abandoned, so that they often do not discuss their problems.

 

What kind of help is available?

At the government level a policy was developed for the first time in 2017 that contained the rights and obligations in this area. Unfortunately, in practice, there is not much to notice. For example, less than 1% of the health care budget is available for mental health care and there is only 1 governmental hospital for mental health care in Nepal. The treatment in private hospitals is not affordable and / or available for many. Koshish tries to bring an improvement for persons with psychosocial problems.

 

 Origin of Koshish

KOSHISH started as an individual humanitarian effort by Mr Matrika Prasad Devkota. In the year 1986 at the age of 15 he suffered from chronic depression. He went to high school until 1991. He then stayed at home until 1998. This was a period of great pain and misery for Matrika because of his mental health problems. His health problems were finally treated in 1998 and he was rehabilitated in 1999 when he got a job. He recovered, but the pain and misery he suffered left a lasting impression. Eventually he enrolled in his bachelor studies in social work and at the same time started to help others suffering from psychological problems. His first beneficiary was a woman from his own village who had been abandoned by the family because of her mental health problems. He brought her to Kathmandu and received medical treatment and arranged a female caretaker with his own money. After 26 years the woman was reunited with her family. During this time she lived on the street in Gorka. Then Matrika Devkota started saving abandoned people throughout Nepal. He referred them to other NGOs for shelter. Because the other NGOs were unable to provide adequate care, he started KOSHISH in 2011, his own 24-hour shelter, a transit home for women and children with mental health problems. The aim of this center is to offer specialized psychosocial and medical services, after which the people go back into society.

 

Koshish currently works in 57 of the 77 districts in Nepal. Persons with mental problems are removed from the inhumane situations in which they find themselves. They receive medication and therapy in a temporary shelter. In the meantime, the community is given an explanation about mental health care. When a person returns to his or her community, he or she can join Koshish self-help groups and Koshish visits them to see how things are going. In addition to direct assistance to the individual and the community, Koshish is committed to working with the government to come to a long-term solution for this target group.

 Project: New Women Transit Home, which Wacalea wants to contribute to

 

To continue to help this target group, KOSHISH has purchased land for a women’s transit center in the peaceful and tranquil Pharping area near the city of Kathmandu. The land is near a forest with a continuous supply of stream water next to it. The transit center will be built on this ground. In this shelter, women and children with mental health problems will have a home away from home for treatment and recovery. The realization of this center costs around 300,000 dollars. This project fits within our objectives to make a sustainable investment in a local initiative.

Manon, director of Wacalea, worked voluntarily for this organization for 5 months and got to know them well during this time.

The construction of this house saves costs such as rent. Finally, they want to offer agricultural activities. This is a good distraction for those with psychosocial problems. It is also a sector that many people will also end up in when they return to their communities, since the majority of the population lives in rural areas. In addition, it is also the intention that they will earn income through the sale of the products.

You can see more information in this video.

July 2019

Wacalea Foundation