Posted by Sushant Wagley
* Note: This is the fourth in a series of Nyaya Health staff member profiles. Through these profiles, which are posted on Saturdays, we hope to give you a better idea of the people who are working on the ground to implement Nyaya’s vision on a daily basis.
Dhan Bahadur was born and raised in Masuriya, Kailai, located in the far-western region of Nepal. After passing his School Leaving Certificate and completing his exams, Dhan Bahadur taught English and math at his village school. Three years later, in the midst of the civil war, Maoist forces shut down the school. Dhan Bahadur left his village, moving to Maharashtra and seeking out migrant labor work to sustain himself and his family. With his earnings, he provided financial supported to his family in Nepal and paid for his brother’s school fees. Speaking of that difficult period, Dhan Bahadur says, “I did not want to stay in someone else’s country and wanted to come home but fighting between the Nepalese Army and the Maoist forces had intensified when I returned home after a year.”
Dhan Bahadur Bogati, our cook, makes meals for on-call staff and assists with general maintenance at Bayalpata Hospital.
Dhan Bahadur was forced to leave for India once more in search of work; during his second visit he began running a small restaurant with a business partner. Though initially successful, the restaurant ran into problems. Dhan Bahadur says, “Our business was doing great; however my business partner wasted all the restaurant earnings on alcohol, which eventually bankrupted us. So, I decided I would come back home.” Upon returning to Nepal, Dhan Bahadur joined Nyaya.
Among Nyaya team members, Dhan Bahadur is known as some one who is always willing to help, often volunteering to do tasks that fall outside of his job description. Aside from cooking meals for the staff, he assists in the out-patient department and helps to maintain hospital equipment, building, and grounds. Among his many other talents, Dhan Bahadur speaks and understands Nepali, Achhami, Hindi, Marathi, and some English! He says, “In the year and half that I have been here, I have met many different people from different parts of the world. Our volunteers come from different parts of the US and from different countries. I love hearing their stories and experiences. This is what I love most about working at Nyaya.”