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Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories : Lekhnath Adhikari

February 9, 2016 , by Bikkil Sthapit, Leave your thoughts
Name: Lekhnath Adhikari Born: 2032 BS Ashoj 26 - Lakhanpur, Damak, Jhapa. When he was 4 years old, he got a fever. His parents thought it was just another fever that stayed for long. After 8-9 days continuous fever, he was taken to the hospital. By the time his fever was identified as typhoid he lost his vision completely.




Proud working father of two, Lekhnath does his part in childcare…
 
… right down to the nitty gritty details.
 
Only son, Prithak, 7 years old, with a look of complete trust as dad takes care of the tricky business of shoelace tying.
 
Lekhnath makes his way around these rooms with ease. This is the home he has made for himself and his family.
 
Getting ready for school.
 
“म दृष्टिविहिन भइकन पनि सक्षम छु। यति महँगो शहरमा भाडामा बसेर भएपनि पुग्नेगरी घर व्यवस्थापन गरेको छु। यसैमा गर्व लाग्छ।”
 
For a teacher, Lekhnath sure does have a lot of style!
 
“Walking alone with a white cane is the most stressful time. I wish I had a friend to walk with me talking and describing things.”
 
Daughter Priyanjali, 12 years old, walks arm in arm with Lekhnath and his wife, Roshni through the dirt roads of Kathmandu…
 
… through the busy lanes in the morning rush hour.
 
Everyday for the past 18 years, Lekhnath has been walking to the school where he teaches Social Studies

Reaches school.
 
This is the first thing he does after reaching school; listens to the talking clock and murmurs, ‘Ah, right on time!’
 
Students do some warm ups in the chilly morning assembly
 
“Light and darkness make no sense at all. And sound is all that helps me differentiate from one thing to another, one person to another”.
 
Walking blackboards: If something needs to be written on the board, he asks his student to write for him.
 
Little adjustments made by the school go a long way. Students usher their teacher to the classrooms…
 
…and perhaps, learn as much about character as social studies from this special teacher.
 
The curriculum: Social Studies
 
Lekhnath reads lessons aloud to the class from his Braille textbook.
 
The four storey school building got a red sticker after the massive earthquake. Now they have bamboo cottage classrooms on their playing ground. " He’s punctual at school, frank with teachers and students, well-trained, and updated. Lekhnath is the most loved teacher in our school. No teachers sings with their students, but him. He has got a singer in him.”
 
“I can’t see my students but I can feel that they love me”.
 
Lekhnath first came to Kathmandu to pursue higher education. But he had to find a job to support himself. So he rented a flat, studied and worked at the same time from 1995.
 
"I can’t see this world, but I can feel that there are more negatives than positives in this society. It makes me worry.”
 
I guide you, you guide me: Another student helps him walk back to home.
 
“उ पनि दृष्टिविहिन। दुबैको चिना देखाइयो, लगन हेराइयो। तर घरमा नभनिकनै काठमाडौंको भद्रकालीमा विवाह गरियो।”
 
“म आँखा देख्दिन। तर मेरो दुलही आँखा देख्ने होस भन्ने चाहानु हुन्छ परिवार। मैले दुःख नपाओस् भनेर।”
 
“कस्तीलाई राम्री भन्ने, कस्तीलाई नराम्री। मन मिल्यो। हामीलाई आवरण मतलब हुन्न।”
 
Photos by Bikkil Sthapit.
Words by Jerusha Rai.
 

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