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Story of Renu Tamang (F)
| Name | Renu Tamang |
| Skilled in | Mending, sewing, product repair |
| Department | Mending Section |
| What she does | Mends and finishes cashmere sweaters, ponchos and wool jackets. Repairs any defects before packaging. |
| Handles | About 22 finished pieces per month |
| Background | Suffered a spinal injury during the 2072 earthquake. Paralyzed, then recovered through multiple surgeries. Now works to provide for her daughter. |
| At YHH since | Trained in mending despite physical challenges. Her careful hand makes her essential to the finishing line. |
Renu Tamang, a married woman with a small daughter, has faced more challenges than most people her age. Hailing from Dhading, her life changed forever when she fell from a tree and broke her spine just 20 days before the massive earthquake that struck Nepal in 2072 BS. This tragic accident left her physically disabled, but it couldn’t break her spirit.
Renu's journey is marked by unimaginable hardships. At 15, she eloped and got married, and when she fell from the tree, she was left unconscious for three days in a village health post with limited medical care. Her husband was not by her side, and her in-laws didn’t offer any support. Upon regaining consciousness and realizing the extent of her injuries, Renu pleaded with her parents to either take her to a proper hospital or end her suffering. With borrowed money, her parents took her to Pokhara, where she was referred from Western Regional Hospital to Manipal Hospital. However, Manipal couldn’t perform her operation due to a lack of equipment, so she was eventually taken to Fishtail Hospital.
For days, no one attended to her, and it was 15 days before she finally underwent surgery. Soon after, she was transferred to Green Pastures Hospital in Pokhara. Amid this confusion, the devastating earthquake struck, leaving her family in Dhading homeless and without food. For five painful days, Renu and her parents thought they had lost her sisters and grandmother. When they finally made contact, her family shared how they were surviving on grains scattered in the fields after the earthquake destroyed their home and food supply.
Despite the pain and paralysis from the waist down, Renu’s determination to survive remained strong. She spent months in a wheelchair, and although her legs remain partially paralyzed to this day, she refused to give up. She tried different jobs, from sewing clothes to cutting grass to earn money. Even after the steel rods in her spine broke and caused further complications, she pushed through, saving up for multiple surgeries and continuing to work to support her family.
Through courage and determination, she managed to have six steel rods removed from her body. Yet, she still lives with two rods in her spine, and doctors have warned that another operation could be life-threatening or could leave her permanently unable to walk. Despite these fears, Renu continues to work, driven by the love for her 6 year old daughter and the hope of providing her with a better future.
After numerous setbacks, including a failed attempt at poultry farming that cost her significant financial loss, Renu finally found hope at Yes Helping Hands. Brought in by Dhana, a physically challenged worker, she received three months of free training and food allowance, which she used to pay for her daughter’s education and living expenses. Working in the mending section now, Renu has been with the company for over a year and feels immense gratitude toward Dinesh Sir and Yes Helping Hands. “Dinesh Sir always tells me to keep my problems aside and move on,” Renu says. His support, along with the company’s mission to uplift marginalized and physically challenged individuals, has been a lifeline for her.
Though her spine still causes her great pain, she walks two hours each day to get to the factory, a journey that takes only 30 minutes for an able-bodied person. Occasionally, strangers offer her a lift on their scooters, moved by her visible struggle. Despite these challenges, Renu’s focus is solely on her daughter’s future. "What will happen to my daughter if something happens to me?" she often wonders. Her love for her child pushes her to bear the pain, and she continues to save for yet another surgery that could determine the rest of her life.
Renu’s story is one of resilience, courage, and unshakable hope. Despite her physical limitations and the immense obstacles she’s faced, she remains humble and driven by the love for her daughter. She is forever thankful to Yes Helping Hands for giving her the opportunity to work and for inspiring her to keep fighting. Through her journey, Renu has become a symbol of strength for many, proving that no matter how overwhelming the challenges, the will to survive and succeed can overcome even the most painful circumstances.
