During the data collection phase of my research “The psycho social problems faced by the armed
conflict affected children- a study in an institution” I came across different interesting cases. This
case study is based on one of the most interesting and different cases that I observed at the
institution based in the mid western region in Nepal, believed to be the most affected region in
the whole country.
A girl aged 12 years, studying in grade 6, had been forced to take refuge at the protection home
for almost a year. According to her, she was living a wonderful life with her family, which
consisted of her father, mother, two sisters and a brother. She used to go to the private school at
the village; the days were the most interesting days of her life time according to her. She still
remembers the days she spent with her parents and siblings at her village. The village that was as
beautiful as other villages of Nepal. She used to have a good life as her father was a teacher at a
local school, along with the agricultural support her life seems to run normal until one day her
father was abducted by the security personnel accusing him of being Maoist. She shared with me
the pain and grief that went through her and her family members when her father’s body was
refused to give to them for the funeral.
At the institution, she stood one of the smartest children that I came across during my stay there.
She was the house captain for all the girl members. She had been taking good responsibility and
leadership to look after other children who were like her.
I still remember the day, when I was taking her interview for my research on the roof of that
institution she was based. On the sunny day, of a chilly winter day in September just after I
finished my interview with her, she came up to me with interview schedule just like mine to take
my interview. In my interview with her being the interviewer she raised some pertinent
Questions to me like:
· What are your expectations to learn from children like us?
· What can you do to help children like us?
This was indeed a difficult question to be answered by me at that moment. But indeed, that was
quite creative and more than impressive for me. That day was one of the most interesting days
for my research days. Then, I thought of the learning capacities that this child had. At that
moment I remembered the old Nepalese saying (Proverb) “a child’s mind is like raw clay of a
potter which can be shaped to make anything then I thought about all the incidents that might
have taken place in her life and how it can, or might have shaped her delicate mind. How can
that shaping affect her life and perceptions that she has, affects her as she grows young, younger
than she can be? Actually, it is happening with all the children in the context of an armed conflict
in Nepal. She was a victim of the state perhaps that’s the reason she always had a negative
connotation on the state. This was indeed detected very well by the Maoist rebels and later
exploited by them. They took her to different programs organized by them to share her
experiences about the violation of Human rights by the security personnel and state. As she had a
good capacity to speak out and express herself, the Maoist used her as their propaganda. She
always felt and debated within herself whether the things that she has been doing was right or
wrong. She used to feel that she should have been focusing on her studies rather that those
things.
As her mother detected that vulnerability, in addition it was also getting more that difficult for
her to look after four children. So she took her along with her younger sister to the institution
with the help of local district children committee and the institution itself. After being
institutionalized, she along with her sister had been visited by the family members only twice.
For that reason she felt very isolated and lonely. She cried and stayed alone whenever she
remembered her family and those days spent with her deceased father. The only thing that she
was not regretting was the fact that she was getting an education, on top of all other things she
felt “safe” at that institution.
Unlike other children who were below grade 5 had a day school but she had a morning class. She
told me that she could neither take her meal before she goes to the school nor she had any
provision to take Tiffin along with her to the school. She added that she always had a hard time
mixing with her class mates as they all had Tiffin which they shared and ate. I tried to request the
authority to do something about it immediately.
She had a aim to become an engineer and contribute in the development of the country. A small
child as such was responsible enough to have that aim which was very impressive. That left me
with the question, who will take the responsibility to assure that she will be able to fulfill her
dreams. Who will take accountability that she will be provided with all she needs to fulfill her
dreams.
It is based on the research conducted as partial requirement to BA social Work. This case study
was published in “THE ADVOCATE” (monthly magazine of department of Social work, St.
Xavier’s college Katmandu, on February 2004).
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