A Debt of Honour: Providing a Safe Haven for Bhim Kumari and Her Family
Bhim Kumari was married to the late Tak Bahadur Mall. Years have passed since his death, and she now lives with her daughter, Bina, her son-in-law, and their three young children. Bhim Kumari has built her life around her family, holding them together through years of uncertainty.
Bhim last saw her husband before he departed for work abroad. During his time away, Tak stayed in touch through letters, writing fondly of the day they would finally be reunited. Tragically, while making his journey home, he was murdered before she ever had the chance to see him again.
“He had written that he would be back in August… but he never came. My children were very small then.”
The Vital Lifeline of the Welfare Pension
Bhim remembers the struggle of those early years, trying to raise her children with almost nothing. With her land and assets sold, she found herself without a home or a livelihood. Turning to The Gurkha Welfare Trust was a final hope.
“I went to the Welfare Office and told them that I had nothing,” she recalls. “After they carried out their checks, I received the pension. At that time, it was a huge support. We used it to buy food—rice, lentils, oil—and I managed to pay my children’s school fees. It was not easy, but we survived.”
Financial Strain and the Burden of Debt
Today, the family continues to face daily challenges. Although Bhim’s son-in-law works as a house painter, taking on whatever jobs he can find, Bhim’s daughter Bina has health problems which prevent her from working, making it difficult for the family to make ends meet.
“I am still receiving the charity pension. Now I collect it from the bank. With that money, I have to buy all our daily necessities, rice, vegetables, lentils, oil… everything is expensive now.”
More Than Just a Roof: The Reality of Life Without a Home
For years, the family relied on rented accommodation, but were left with nowhere to go when the owner suddenly reclaimed the property. They were forced into a desperate search for land: “We had to leave in a hurry and manage with whatever plot we could find,” Bhim explains. ‘We built this temporary shed, and it has been our only shelter ever since.”
In order to pay the land lease fee and buy materials to start construction of their makeshift home, the family had to take out additional loans, adding to the financial strain. In addition to money troubles, the home setting is far from ideal.
“The house is very cold, and I have rheumatism, so winter is especially difficult for me. In summer, it becomes extremely hot, and during the monsoon, the roof leaks. My granddaughters collect the water in buckets and empty it. We cover the floor with plastic sacks to protect our belongings. In winter, the dew collected on the CGI sheet roof drips inside from around 4 am.”
Basic necessities are also a daily struggle. “We do not have drinking water nearby. We have to walk for about 30 minutes in total to collect water from a common tap, where we often have to wait in a queue.
Assistant Area Welfare Officer Jang Khamcha shared his assessment of the situation:
“The current living condition of Bhim Kumari is miserable. They are living in a CGI sheet-roof house, without a proper water system or a proper toilet facility. The CGI sheets make the house extremely hot in summer, and in winter it becomes very cold. During the monsoon, the situation becomes more challenging. Because they have livestock, the waste mixes with rainwater and flows towards their living area, making the surroundings unhygienic.”
A Foundation of Hope: Rebuilding Dignity
Understanding the strain on the family, The Gurkha Welfare Trust stepped in to refurbish Bhim’s home, and work is now underway.
“Our immediate priority is to complete the house as soon as possible. Once that is done, we can consider additional improvements such as a false ceiling and other necessary adjustments.
There is no proper water system in the toilet, so we will set up a complete bathroom system. This includes installing a water tank with a stand, along with the necessary pipes and fittings.”
Bhim spoke with gratitude about the continued support they have received over the years:
“The welfare has always been supporting us. They provided us with a fan when it was very hot. They also cover my medical expenses, provide medicines, and are now helping us build a temporary house.”
“If it weren’t for the welfare, life would have been very difficult for us. I truly feel that there is someone standing beside us. Without this support, survival would have been extremely hard. I am always thankful, and I will remain grateful until the end of my life.”