Help 100 women suffering from violence in Nepal

Emerging need of mental health service

KOSHISH has been providing short-term specialized psychosocial support to abandoned and marginalized women with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities (MHCPD). Almost 52% of the beneficiaries received in emergency care service centers had MHCPD due to gender-based violence. Through the generous support raised through GlobalGiving, we were able to provide specialized support to 33 beneficiaries.

Among 33 beneficiaries, 21 beneficiaries have been reintegrated into their own family and community after recovery. The remaining 12 beneficiaries are receiving holistic treatment including both psychosocial support and psychiatric consultation along with involvement in therapeutic activities in the emergency service center of KOSHISH. During follow-up, it was found that the mental health condition of all the 21 reintegrated beneficiaries is improving. They are involved in daily activities and are in continuous counseling services. The outreach team has discovered and analyzed a larger number of individuals who require specialist psychosocial assistance, which can only be provided by helping hands.

Success Story

Finally got a way to raise my child

33 years old Maya Thapa (Pseudonym) of Sanghachowkgadi-1, Chautara was excited to receive goats as livelihood support from KOSHISH. She was provided with psychosocial support from KOSHISH and was reintegrated back to her family after recovery.  

While she was working in a shop in Kathmandu, she met a man with whom she was in love but he played with her emotions, abused her because of which she was pregnant, and left her alone. After that she went home where she witnessed another tragic incident; her mother passed away. All these had a negative impact on her mental health. The community people informed KOSHISH about her condition and she was rescued for short-term residential psychosocial support and care at the emergency care service center. She was reintegrated into her own family after receiving mental health and psychosocial support from the transit care service center of KOSHISH.  

She was in continuous follow-up with the outreach team of KOSHISH. There has been an improvement in her mental health condition with the support of her family members. She has been actively involved in household activities, supporting her family, and trying to raise her child. She is really worried for her child's future. During follow-ups, she always shared how sad she is for being unable to fulfill her child's wishes. She always felt her son will have a dark future. Her family's economic condition is low so she showed a willingness to support her family and child by any means. 

Looking at her eagerness and necessity, KOSHISH provided goats as livelihood support for her. She has been provided with three goats. She was really content and enthusiastic while receiving goats. 

She expressed," I finally got a way to raise my son. I will rear these goats with all my effort, increase the numbers of goats, and earn income from it."

In Nepal, mental health is the least prioritized sector and the services related to mental health are very limited while the service seeking tendency is very high among vulnerable women . KOSHISH has been continuously providing psychosocial support and care to women and girls with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities (MHPSD). Through the generous support raised through GlobalGiving, we were able to provide specialized support to 29 beneficiaries.

Among 29 beneficiaries, 17 beneficiaries have been reintegrated into their own family and community after recovery. The remaining 12 beneficiaries are receiving holistic treatment including both psychosocial support and psychiatric consultation along with involvement in therapeutic activities in the emergency crisis center of KOSHISH. During follow-up, it was found that the mental health condition of all the 17 reintegrated beneficiaries  is improving. They are involved in daily activities and are in continuous counseling services. The outreach team has discovered and analyzed a larger number of individuals who require specialist psychosocial assistance, which can only be provided by helping hands.

Success Story
 Maya’s Approach to Rights After Recovery

Maya (pseudonym), a survivor in every way, has made the long journey from despair to hope. A 50-year-old widow and a single mother, Maya’s struggles started about 12 years ago. She was experiencing psychosocial problems, but she had no idea what it was or who could help her cope. Maya would leave her home, look for work, and live at her workplace for days. For some unexplained reason, she refused to accept payments. She sometimes accepted an insubstantial amount of money, and sometimes took off to look for work elsewhere. Consequently, Maya lived in the streets for years, refusing to go home to her family. She had no regard for cleanliness, refused to have food and medicine, and would hardly speak to others, but talked to herself.

She was paranoid and would run away if her family were in sight. Maya’s only daughter was forced to spend the majority of her childhood away from her mother. When she realized that her mother’s behavior might be symptoms of a mental health condition, she contacted and shared her concerns with the CPSWs of KOSHISH. With the local municipality’s recommendation and required documentation, Sanu Maya was brought to KOSHISH’s emergency care home. Maya took some time to adjust to her new surroundings at KOSHISH’s emergency care home, but with the care, a healthy diet, timely medication, and a variety of therapeutic activities, including counseling, her symptoms soon started improving. After one level of recovery, Maya began to miss her daughter and community life so she was reintegrated into her family after recovery.

Currently, she is living happily with her daughter maintaining proper medication, hygiene, and personal care. Following her reintegration, she applied for and received citizenship from the local government. She also became eligible for social security benefits as a single widowed woman. Moreover, she has also filed for financial assistance for medication and the local municipality responded positively to it. Maya serves as an example to others dealing with mental health conditions that recovery is possible with the help of professional care as well as family and community support.