I was born on july 11, 1966 in balawa V.D.C ward no. 4 from father Ram Brikshya Shah and mother Basmatiya Shah. Our family had 4 brothers and 2 sisters, and I was the eldest. Among us my small brother, and sister and i suffered from leprosy, i was taken to sorcerers for exotic Healing, private clinics in India, and treating with homeopathic medecine was started. This lasted for 14 years. then after finding out about my leprosy, I was kept in a separate room. After knowing that i had leprosy, relatives, neighbors and acquaintances stopped coming to our house. Due to false tradition and superstition leprosy was taken as hatred point of view.
Everyone used to see me in disgust. So much that even my maternal uncle used to say I should be drowned in the sea. Around 1984, one person from Newar community in Kathmandu had land in our village. My father was tanning that land. Knowing I was suffering from leprosy he advised my father that it could be treated free in the leprosy mission hospital situated at Lete in Lalipur, so my father took me to that hospital for treatment. Being treated in that hospital for six weeks, wounds in my feet healed and i was discharged and sent home. During my return home I reached Janakpur by bus, but due to unavailability of motor road, I had to walk a whole day (which would take a normal person three hours) and when I reached home the recently healed wounds in my feet started to reappear. Then the disgusted behavior of villagers started again. The villagers said I was albino and would never heal and hated me more. I was taken to the same hospital in Lalipur by my father . I thought in my heart that I would never return to this place after treatment to become a character of disgust. I was fifteen years then.
When reaching hospital, I was told by the doctor that i had to amputate my left leg. I felt very sad inside myself after hearing that and refused to amputate my leg. I thought even now villagers hate me, without a leg what would they do, how to walk on muddy roads and rivers in the village? This saddened me and i kept on crying. In that hospital, a physiotherapist from Netherland named Catherine Gamin told me "crying and being sad would do no good, everything happens for your good. Pray, God will hear your prayer". Fortunately, after a long bed rest and treatment, my wounds healed and I did not have to amputate my leg. However, after 17 years the wound in leg reappeared and my leg was amputated.
Now, I am walking with support of an artifical leg. During the treatment, this time i stayed at hospital for 22 months. After 15 months during that period, i got acquainted with a male named Kishori Shah who too came for treatment of leprosy. He was a permanent resident of Digampur-5 Dhanusha. We were both unmarried then. During our conversations our heart matched and so did our story. We both needed support of someone. After a year and a half from then, we married and rented a room in Nayagaun , Pokhara. We were unemployed then. We requested in administration of Hariyokharka Hospital in Pokhara for employement. My husband got a job as a gardener at the home of Dr. Wim. I also got a job to teach handicraft to patients coming in that hospital. I frequently became ill after starting job. One doctor acquainted during treatment in Hariban, after knowing our state, he managed to find me a job in an organization named Sewa Kendra in Gausala, Kathmandu, it makes slippers and shoes for patients for my husband and handicraft related work for me. We started to reside in Tilganga, Kathmandu in rent.
I became pregnant in 1991. But the baby could not remain in my womb. As such I had to seal my womb and take 9 months of bed rest. I gave birth to a son in June 29,1992. As a result of long pain and trouble my son was healthy, seeing that M.J Joseph names him Ananda as it gave sense of blissfulness (ananda) in our family relatives. I became pregnant soon after the birth of my son, with scarness of being pregnant so soon I never went to hospital and took no injections.
However, after nine months I gave birth to a daughter with ease. This happened on August 6, 1993. She too was healthy and was named Ruth. With time both my children started to grow. In 1995, a Canadian guest Merry Martin, who fully assisted treatment for my husband, met after interval of 7 years and was very happy to see our family. After that, our families had a good relationship. With advise and monastery assistance of Martin in 1996, my son and daughter were admitted to Nilkantha Boarding school in LKG and nursery respectively. After two years in that school, I was working at Shanti Sewa Griha a primary school and I admitted my children to the same school. As the standard of education was not satisfactory in that school both of them were admitted in class one in 2000 in Sewa Sadam school at Battisputali. The standard of education was great in sewa Sadam, however it was comparatively expensive for our economic status. After one year they were admitted to class three and two in Lilingtar school Dhapasi established by assistance of a team of German Citizen Hans Hunger, who had come to the organization I was working in. They studied well in that school. When my son was a toddler, I had to stay in hospital for long hours, so my husband used to be alone for long in our rented room.
My husband started to drink alcolol due to depression. He became addicted to alcohol. He suffered from pneumonia in may-june 2005. We started to go to hospital after his illness for treatment. Even then he did not stop to drink and in Ashoj October 17, 2005, he « my husband » who was with me in time of happiness and sorrow expired, a pain which i cannot express in words.After my husband's funeral, i started to feel lonely in a way. But my children have good habits and studies. After growing with good studies they can work for the country, and also look after me, thinking that I felt satisfield. In 2008 my son Ananda passed S.L.C in first division from Tilingtar higher secondery school .He dreamt of being a pilot. To fullfill the dream he decided to take science in 10+2 and started to study in pentagon international college.
In 2009 my daugther Ruth also passed S.L.C in first division from Tilingtar higher secondery school. She took science in 10+2 in same higher secondary school to fulfill her dream to become practician doctor. In 2009 both of them were taking german lesson in Goethe language centre in Thapathali . My son was taking classes in the morning and my daughter in the afternoon to suit their class schedules.
On december 22sd, 2010, the morning was chilly. In the morning my son had to go to language class and my daughter to college. The day was chilly so they were being lazy to wake up. Everyday Ananda used to leave Ruth in her college at Dhapasi and go to Thapathali for a language class with his motorbike. As they were late, they were trying not to go to college but I said to them that science students should not be absent, they left for college at a quarter to 6 in hastening manner.The morning was so cold and misty that it was impossible to recognize houses and people nearby. At around 7 am I had a phone call from the police they asked me where I was, and I replied Pepsicola They instantly asked who was present at home. I replied I was alone. They asked me how was I related to Anand and Ruth, I answered they were my son and daughter. The police said : « your children have been injured in a motorcycle accident. Come to teaching hospital, Maharajgunj with relatives around ».I was shocked and I could not think after hearing that. I immediately called the pastor and went to teaching hospital with him on a motorcycle. I saw both of them laying on a trolley. My daughter was being cleaned by nurses. Friends of my son had already arrived. When called by friends his phone was received by police, so with that information they had arrived there. They too were worried. There was blood in the hair, nose, ear and month of my son. He was not moving. While going to Dhapasi from home at Pepsicola, my son and daughter overtook a microbus in Dhumbarahi Chowk, at the same time another bus was overtaking a minibus, and the truck struck them and the accident occurred, the police rescued them and took them to the teaching hospital. As treatment for Ananda was not possible in the teaching hospital he was taken to neuro hospital around 2pm in the afternoon. But he could not be saved even being treated there… Doctors declared him dead at 3pm. With agony because of my son’s death I rushed to see my daughter. While i reached there i wiped my tears and acted as if Nothing had happened. My daughter was then already conscious. She asked how was her brother, I did not reply. One brother said « you should rest, do not talk » she asked if « - blood of his blood group was available or not, » save him anyhow and don't be concerned about me. Then I felt in my heart although my son could not be saved, my daughter would be with me. I tried to console myself. Relatives and friends took me home. On the next morning around 10 am my daughter became unconscious again. So she was put in ventilator. Due to severe internal injury, blood had clothed in her chest.
I was told to wait for 4 days, and they said to me she was fine and not to feel worried. After 4 days of pressure , I went to hospital to see my daughter. I saw here under ventilator . She was unconscious. I felt shocked seeing my daughter still in that condition. There was no meaning of me living. I felt I would nothing in this world. After seeing my situation , relatives and friends of Church took me home. Around 8 pm in janury 13,2011, my daughter Ruth died too .
When I phoned the hospital that night to ask about my daughter, I was reminded I should be ready to face anything that could happen, but i was not told about her death . Next morning around 5, pastor from the Church , came along with 4 people (who were taking care of my daughter in hospital). I thought , why are they coming so early and I also felt a chill in my heart if ever my daughter too would leave me . As expected, they had come with news of my daughter's death. They counseled me there just enough for me to tolerate it. The bodies of my children are not here anymore but we will meet in house of Lord. I knew Ruth left the world. When I first saw Ruth under ventilator I felt i would be left alone in the world and i should work for social welfare. At home my son and daughter used to say : « We will help others after our studies just like others are helping us right now » . It must be the emotion from that time which persuaded me to start a trust in name of my children « Nanda and Ruth Memorial trust ».
To raise and educate orphan minor aged girls and leave a new print in world. As I dreamt after many difficulties on August 8, 2011, the organisation was registered . Now in this organization there are 4 minor girls with no support. The responsibility of nurturing and education of them has been taken by this organisation. In the futur, more orphans minor children will be brought here and provided with care, nurture, education and helping to make their future bright.