2.4 Reincarnation of Jaya
“There were rumors that the Maoists were going to attack the police post in Charikot, the district headquarters of Dolakha, where we had a small hotel. We didn’t have our own home so were living in a rented house. Although we knew the Maoists were going to attack, we could not leave that place because we didn’t know where to go. I used to help my mother with her work in the morning and evening and in the afternoon I went to school. My school’s name was Pasupati Kanya Mandir.”

The above statement was given by Jaya Khadka, who is originally from the Guluppa village in Chilankha of Dolakha. To reach her village requires a full day of walking from Charikot as there is no good road.

The night of 9th April 2005 marked a huge shift in Jaya’s life. She was asleep with her four brothers and mother; her father had gone to cut bamboo. Suddenly, at midnight, she was awoken by tremendous explosions. People were shouting and running to and fro. It soon became clear that a battle had broken out between the Maoists and security forces. Jaya recalls, “We were so scared at that time. Then a bullet came and hit my foot. I think I said something to my mother and then I fainted.”

Jaya’s mother, Durga Khadka, recalls that night, “Jaya was shouting ‘Mommy, I haven’t got one leg’. I pushed my five children under the bed. When I realized we couldn’t stay in such an unsafe place I picked my two sons and asked Jaya to carry her other two brothers, but she was unconscious. It was dark but I could feel that her clothes were wet. I thought she must have peed herself because she was so scared, but later she again said ‘Mother, I really lost my leg’, so I checked; I got a shock when I saw that her dress was soaked in blood.”

“I think my heart stopped beating for some seconds. That night passed so slowly that it felt like a hundred years. I couldn’t wait for the morning so I carried my children to my friend’s home. I wasn’t conscious of the risk of crossfire; I just walked, carrying my children for about 20 minutes until I reached my friend’s home.”

They bound Jaya’s leg with a scarf. The next morning, Durga went to the army camp to ask for help. The Army took Jaya to Kathmandu by helicopter, where she received good treatment in the Army hospital in Chhauni.

That was the start of Jaya’s new life.

After the incident Jaya’s parents decided to leave their village. On 5th June 2006, Jaya and her family moved to Kathmandu and rented a room in Tilganga.

With the help of Jaya’s uncle, the girl got a chance to study at SSS, where she does not have to pay for tuition and lunch is provided. At the time of writing, she was in Class 6. Her brothers were studying in another school in Kathmandu.

At first, Jaya’s parents earned money collecting and selling sand from the Bagmati River but it was seasonal work so Jaya’s mother started a small street shop. Her earnings must cover all their expenses, including the monthly rent of Rs 1,200 for the one dark, narrow room that is home to the family’s seven members. But as she can earn Rs 100 - 150 a day, it is enough.

As the eldest child, Jaya carries heavy responsibilities. She wakes up at 5 am and washes all the dishes and makes breakfast for her brothers before getting ready for school. After school she prepares the meal and helps her brothers do their homework. Every Saturday she bathes her brothers, and in her free time visits the Pashupatinath temple.

Jaya had dreamed of becoming a doctor, but when she was injured and stayed in the hospital she realized that being a doctor is not easy. Now she wants to be a good teacher, like her teacher Miss Sajana, and spread the light of education to every uneducated person.

Jaya says the day she lost her leg is the most unforgettable moment of her life. But after hearing the sad stories of other students at SSS, she feels relief about her injury. She is very happy to study in SSS, which has a more practical approach than her village school, and pleasant surroundings.

When she was in the hospital Jaya thought that her life was bleak but when she got admitted to SSS she became very happy. She says, “My new life is much brighter than my previous one. I am not alone – many children are victims of crossfire during the conflict. I sometimes wonder how many displaced children have the opportunity to study like I do.”