• Awareness raising/information about PWD among the partners.
   
• Training of partners: How to integrate PWD in their work.

For the awareness raising the theatre tool was chosen, because the language of the body is a better tool than words to express the feelings/conflicts which PWD face.The theatre was performed at MS-Nepal's Partner Seminar 2002. The theatre training and performance was directed by Sunil Pokharel, Aarohan Theatre Group.

Four of the actors were disabled themselves. They were selected from 4 different Handicap NGOs. Two of the actors were students at Gurukul School of Theatre of Aarohan Theatre Group.  During 15 days' training the actors discussed and selected typical conflicts that may arise between PWD and the surrounding society. Sketches were prepared and meant as introductory presentation for discussion among the audience.

The communication among the actors was a challenge; sign language is a visual language and had to be interpreted to the speaking language and the blind person could not perceive any visual communication at all. The mentally retarded actor needed many times of repetition and further explanation by his sister in order to learn his role.

The interviewed actors (see below) expressed themselves about what a great learning process the theatre training had been. They had in particularly gained knowledge about the different kinds of disabilities, which were represente d there. Four handicap NGOs have learned to use theatre as a tool in their future work so as to improve conditions of PWD in Nepal.

• 1 blind (National Association of the Blind (NAB))
   
• 1 deaf and his sign language interpreter (National Association of Deaf/Hard of Hearing (NADH))
   
• 1 mentally retarded (Down’s syndrome) and his interpreter/helper and sister (Parents Association of the Mentally Retarded Children),
   
• 1 mobile impaired (Nepal Disabled Women Association) and
   
• 2 non disabled actors and some students from Aarohan Theatre Group.

The following stories have been prepared by Mary Aage, DW, DEO, Dadeldhura (Far West) on the basis of interviews with some of the disabled and non-disabled participants/actors of the theatre.

Kaeshwor Shrestha, 19, suffering from Down's syndrome

He is from the handicap NGO: Parents Association of the Mentally Retarded Children. He is handsome, open, obliging, often smiling.

Talking to Kaeshwor for 10 minutes is enough to realize that he is one of the few lucky mentally retarded persons in Nepal, who is brought up in a family who loved him, taught him good manners and sent him to school.

Though his ability to learn at the same speed as children of the same age is retarded, his dreams and feelings are not.

Nirmala (Didi), Kaeshwor's sister

A very affectionate and committed woman and sister (she is not married). Though she might have sacrificed herself to take care of her brother Kaeshwor, she does not radiate to feel sorry for herself. She seems to be an intelligent, self-confident woman with real interest and understanding of the situation of the disabled.

There are many disabled in her area and many families are hiding the disabled away from the community

Nirmala: When he was a small boy, he gave the family many problems. He got lost and was very irritating for the family-especially when we had guests. He destroyed cameras, our TV. Others often teased him in the area. Nirmala felt very hurt, when it happened. People are not teasing him so much any more because of the increased information/awareness through TV, radio.

Kaeshwor did not speak until he was 5 years old. They tried everything to make him speak. They thought if they could make him happy he might start to speak. They showed him Swayambhunath and other nice places-then he started to speak. In the beginning he imitated the singing of the birds. It was when he started in class one, they discovered that he was mentally retarded.

Then he was admitted to a school for mentally retarded children, Nirmal Bal Bikash. Nirmala tried to teach him the alphabets. She trained him the whole night; they did not sleep at all. Now he can read and write a little.

Kaeshwor went to the same school for 12 years. Now he is working there-producing envelopes, candles, etc. He does not get any salary for his work. Nirmala thinks the school should provide him a small amount or the government should give some fixed allowance for his work. The family has never received any kind of support for Kaeshwor

What are your dreams for the future?
Kaeshwor: I want to become a doctor and have a car. (The sister explains that his sisters son also wants to become a doctor) I don’t want to marry.

What did you learn from participating in this theatre program of MS Nepal? How was it to work together with people with different kinds of disabilities and different kinds of languages?
Nirmala: Even though I already have experiences with disabled I learned a lot more from this theatre. Especially my interest in Sign Language has increased. I want to learn more.
The theatre tool is very powerful. Most participants in this theatre program are educated people but this tool is even much useful in the villages.

What did your brother learn?
Nirmala: He was very happy to participate-he tried to act and he got new friends. He was very proud that MS gave him daily allowances for his participation. When he saw me giving DA to our mother, he got very angry and asked: Why do you give my money away?

How did he spend the money?
Nirmala: He invited our aunt for dinner. He told her he had earned a lot of money and he would buy a chicken for the money and make a party.


Ramesh Subedi, 22, blind from birth

Ramesh is from Nepal Association of the Blind (NAB). Ramesh is a handsome, kind and educated person. He is very clear about the situation of himself and his blind friends. He is also very clear about his ideas.

He can express his feelings about being disabled and how he is perceived by the society freely. Being together with him I got a strong sense that he was listening more intensely than people, who can see.

Ramesh is p.t. studying Bachelor B.F.A. –the first year. His major subject is music. He is singing and playing classical music. Instruments are among others: guitar, drum, harmonium and congo.

From class 1-8 he went to a school only for blind: Purvanchal Gyan Chakshu Vidyalaya, in Dharan. Class 8-10, he went to a common school where integrated blind students also studied.

I am blind from birth. When I was 7-8 years old my parents took me to a doctor but he could not make me see. My eyes are missing some kind of fluid. My family environment is very good. They always support me. They also don’t accept caste discrimination. We are brahmins but also dalits may come into our home.
My parents also ask for my advise in some matters.

What are your dreams for the future?
Ramesh: I want to open a music institute and give teaching in music in mornings and evenings. In the daytime I want to do social work in my organisation.

What did you learn from this theatre program?
Ramesh: I learned so much because MS mixed people with different disabilities-not only blind. I learned the problems/needs of people with different disabilities than my own.

I have learned how useful the theatre tool is in order to do awareness campaign/information about disabled and it could also be used to sensitise the politicians as a tool for lobby work.
Before this theatre program I thought playing music and singing was the only usable tool to rise awareness. Now I have discovered how useful theatre is. We are planning to use it in my NGO in Lalitpur for the future.

Loonibha Tuladhar, 19, student of Aarohan Theatre School

A tall, plump good-looking woman, relaxed dressed in jeans and T-shirt Loonibha was a non-disabled actress in the theatre. Very open-a type, who seems to be able to communicate with anybody, without prejudices. She radiates energy.

Loonibha: I have studied theatre only for one month. This was one of my first experiences-and that was great!

The most important thing I learned from Ramesh (the blind actor) is that he can dream- it means that he can see some kind of pictures in his dreams even though he is born blind. He dreams in black and white-no colours.

From the deaf actor I learned: I would not be shy/embarrassed to be his daughter (in the play), because he is smart, has ideas and humour and he taught me sign language.

What do you think about theatre as a tool to inform/arise awareness about disability?
Loonibha: This is one of the most effective tools because when you only speak people are not convinced, but when you see it, people can understand. Through theatre you can express feelings and people can see that disabled are persons with the same feelings as you and I.