How art helps Nepal’s war victims
Set up by myself and Gosia Lawnicki and based in Cork, MATS is a non-profit organisation which works creatively with vulnerable groups all over the world in order to transform traumatic personal experience for the benefit of affected communities.
Although it received little coverage in Western media, the conflict in Nepal between government forces and Maoist insurgents lasted for 10 years from 1996. A peace agreement was signed, but Nepal is still politically unstable and is one of the poorest countries in the world.
This was the first time Western therapists were granted permission to enter the Police Hospital in Kathmandu. It was the first time work with policemen who had been affected by the conflict was done and the first time these men have had the opportunity to come together and tell their stories.
They suffered injuries and trauma resulting from ambushes, cross fires and bombings from Maoist fighters. The workshop took place over two days culminating in a group image in which all 24 men conveyed the impact the war has had on their lives.
The Nepalese government has not taken care of these men; many of whom were just teenagers when the conflict started.
In Nepal, disability has huge social stigma attached to it and the country does not provide facilities for those who are affected. It is a source of shame for many families and as a result those with physical disabilities are often ignored, shunned or simply forgotten.
Perhaps one of the more poignant indicators of their plight is that local buses refuse to stop for these men. The act of expressing their anger and disappointment is in itself a vital part of the therapy.
“Human beings are sensitive and have the ability to solve problems,” former policeman Kuman told us.
“I came to know that through art therapy, we can share our feelings. Hospitals and offices are not disability-friendly, and there are no disability-friendly roads, which makes it difficult for us to travel from one place to another.”
Another man, Chandra, recalled the incident in which his left hand was shot. “The bullet went across my left hand and my right leg was also shot. My right leg nerve got cut and I am not able to move my ankle. The bullet is still in my body, those particles make my life difficult. Right now I am 32 years old. I have a wife and one daughter.”
Dhundi Raj Pokhrel recalled how he was fit and well until he was 29. “But on March 20, 2004 in Magdhi, Nepal I had to fight with the Maoists. In that incident I was injured and became disabled. Now I walk with the help of crutches.
“In other countries, people who are injured during conflict are provided support in different ways. But in Nepal people who are injured and disabled are not able to live properly.
“In the end, if you raise our voice internationally maybe our life could change a little. This is my belief.”
In conflict everyone suffers and when the conflict ends the survivors are forced to deal with the trauma and emotional turmoil that remains. Often as the world moves on the victims and the sacrifices they made are forgotten. Yet they still have to deal with the psychological and physical impacts of what they endured.
It is extremely important to these men that their stories are remembered. As Lal Babu Khadka put it: “We were not born disabled but during our service we sacrificed our lives for the country.” Lal injured his spinal cord and is now unable to move the lower part of his body.
This article fulfils a promise I made to raise awareness. The men’s group image now hangs publicly in the foyer of the Police Hospital. MATS hopes to return to Nepal later this year to train local people in the tools of art therapy, so the seedling that was planted in Kathmandu can flourish at a grassroots level.
* Find Mobile Art Therapy Studio on Facebook. Sheila Kelleher is an art therapist based in Cork
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