Partner: Hope Disability Centre (HDC)

Landlocked in the Himalayas between India and China, Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with an estimated 44% of Nepalis living below the poverty line. Disease prevalence is higher in Nepal than any other South Asian country, especially in rural areas.

When Ganga Rayamajhi was 17 years old she was fitted with her first pair of prosthetic limbs, having lost both legs as a baby in a kitchen fire. In 2004, after having met a representative from a New Zealand based non-profit organization, Ganga’s passions were ignited. She decided to set up her own organization to help others like herself who had been neglected to uplift them physically and emotionally.

In 2006 the Hope Disability Centre or Asha Apanga Kendra (in Nepali) was born and formally registered in Nepal. With Ganga in the driver’s seat, HDC has grown significantly over the last eight years – increasing capacity of patients, scale of operations and overall effectiveness – supporting all disabled persons who request help.

HDC supports all disabled persons of Gulmi, and other districts of Nepal, with community-based projects and programs that improve mobility, health, education, human rights and legal counseling, skills training and employment. In doing so, they help disabled Nepalis live with dignity, self-worth, and independence with basic rights in the community.