BMS workers Alan and Megan Barker are in Surkhet, western Nepal working with International Nepal Fellowship (INF). Megan is involved with the Surkhet programme in occupational therapy and Alan works on the programme support.
Here, they tell us the about the harsh reality of how many disabled people are treated through the heart-warming story of Drupati:
Drupati, a 25 year-old lady, was shot by the army about six years ago, leaving her paralysed from the waist down.
Earlier this year she received treatment at the INF's hospital in Pokhara, as her wounds had never properly healed. She then returned to our clinic here in Surkhet for rehabilitation.
After learning how to sit up, dress herself, get into a wheelchair and move about independently, it was time for Drupati to go home. Megan accompanied her home to do an initial 'home visit'.
Unfortunately, Drupati was not allowed to return to the family home. Young wives usually go to live with the in-laws, but her mother-in-law did not want her living with them as, in her opinion, a disabled person cannot help and so would be no use to her. It is also seen to be embarrassing to have a disabled person in the house.
Drupati was allocated a tiny room attached to the animal shed. Her wheelchair couldn't fit through the narrow door and there wasn't enough room to turn around, even if she could get inside. There was no toilet and no water.
To get there Drupati even had to be carried on her husband's back as the path was too narrow and rough for the wheelchair. Clearly much needed to be done to make life even bearable, let alone acceptable.
With Megan's advice and financial help from INF, Drupati's husband was given the task of changing the animal shed into living quarters in which Drupati could live and move around. The first home visit took place in May.
A few weeks ago Megan returned to see the progress. Such a transformation! Drupati has a bedsit style area to live in, a separate toilet and doors that she could get through in her wheelchair!
A neighbour has offered to teach her tailoring and, thanks to a gift, Drupati is able to afford a hand-operated sewing machine and a specially made table on which to put it.
Life will still be tough for Drupati. She has an area of about two metres wide outside the 'house' which she can move around in independently. To get anywhere else she has to be carried and the nearest road is the other side of a river. There's no electricity in the area and all cooking is done on a wood-fired stove.
However, she has some hope and she remains as cheerful as ever. We have told her before that people in the UK would pray for her, so please continue to do so.