Susta Manasthiti means delay in mental development, compared to other children of the same age.
This school has been founded in 1994 by parents who have themselves such a child. Still now there are only parents on the Board who have a mentally retarded child. Very soon it was clear, that only a small number of retarded children could be taught in the rooms in town. A Home Visit Project became reality towards which SNS paid regularly from 1999 to 2003. Now there are 39 families which are regularly visited. The parents are taught how they could help their children to become more independent in their daily life.
The school itself became very popular and the premises they used up to 2003 were not adequate and plans for its own building were made. Land could be found and donated by government. In 2003 the school was inaugurated in the presence of a board-member of SNS. Many contributed, also SNS with quite a substantial amount, and other Swiss friends donated a big amount.
Now the school has 27 children coming regularly to the school. The activities could be enlarged and comprise now: Behavioral Training, special education, entertainment, health check up by doctors who do this voluntarily, then also vocational training in candle making, sewing, knitting, envelope-making and also cooking with vegetable from the school’s own garden.
Now SMBBM has become a pilot project and an example for other areas with the same problems.
Bishnu Bhusal, Annemarie Spahr