The medal that saved my life – a beneficiary of the ... · The medal that saved my life – a...

RegisteredCharityNo1103669CompanyLimitedbyGuaranteeNo5098581RegisteredinEngland

Themedalthatsavedmylife–abeneficiaryofthecharityTheGurkhaWelfareTrusttellsherstoryLikemostwidowsTulsideviDanaiisveryproudofherlatehusbandandthebraverythatearnedhimhiswarmedal.ButassheholdsupthebatteredbrokenmedalbearingthelikenessofKingGeorgeVI,sheappreciateditsothersignificance:toheritisthedifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.Sheexplains:“ThismedalistheevidenceforgettingmyWelfarePensionfromTheGurkhaWelfareTrust(GWT),”apensionwhichenableshertosurvive.Tulsidevi’shusbandBakhansingKhatriwasaRiflemanwhoearnedthemedalforhisserviceasaGurkhaduringtheSecondWorldWar,wherehefoughtinthejunglesofBurma.Shestillrecallsthesomeofthestoriesherlatehusbandtoldheraboutwhatheendured,fightingandservingindifficultterrain.Shesaid:“Itwasveryhardforthem.Theydidn’thaveenoughsupplies.Whenheusedtofillhiswaterbottleinthejungleitwasdirtyandfullofleechesbuttheyhadnochoicebuttodrinkit.”Duringthewar,herhusbandalsofacedpooranddangerousconditionswhenhelaterbecameaprisoner.Sheexplains:“HewastakenprisonerbytheJapanesesoldiers.HetoldmethatheandtheotherGurkhasweresurroundedandthat,whentheirbulletsranout,theywerecaptured.Lifeatthecampwashardandhewasbeatenandtheyoftenhadnofoodfordays.”Afterthewar,BakhansingreturnedtohishomedistrictofLamjung,Nepalwherethecouplewereeventuallymarriedandwentontohavethreechildrentogether.Bakhansingsupportedhisfamilybyworkingasasubsistencefarmer,growingenoughfoodtofeedhisfamilybutwithnowayofsavingforretirement.Sheremembers:“Somethievesoncecameandstolehisothermedals.ThisisallIhaveleft.“Bakhansingmadeabigsacrificetoearnthis.Itmeansalottome.It’samemoryofhim.It’sbeennearly20yearssincehedied.”BakhansingandhiswifefirstreceivedsomesupportintheformofaGWTWelfarePensionin1994.ButitwaswhentheformerRiflemanpassedawayin1999thathiswidowbegantorelyheavilyonthesupportofGWTandthepensiontheyprovide.TheWelfarePensionisawardedtoimpoverishedGurkhaveteransorwidowswhoaren'teligibleforthestandardArmypension.Itcurrentlystandsat10,500NepaleseRupeespermonth(around£76).Therateiscalculatedeachyearusinga'shoppingbasket'ofbasicgoodssuchasrice,vegetablesandcookingoil.Whilemodest,itprovidesenoughtogetbyinNepal.

RegisteredCharityNo1103669CompanyLimitedbyGuaranteeNo5098581RegisteredinEngland

Asanelderlylady,unabletoworkinoneofthepoorestcountriesintheworldwithnosocialwelfaresystem,aGWTpensionmakesallthedifference.Tulsidevisaid:“Withoutthepension,whatcouldIdo?Ican’tstealtolive.ThisisallIhave.Itisveryhardtogetby.”Aswellasreceivingapension,Tulsidevialsogetssupportintheformoffreelocalhealthcare.Shesaid:“IoftengotoTheGurkhaWelfareTrustdoctorsastheyareclosetowhereIlive.It’sveryusefultohavethisfreehealthcare.”Today,GWTprovidesfinancial,medicalanddevelopmentaidtoGurkhaveterans,theirfamiliesandcommunities.Thecharityiscriticalforex-servicemenandtheirdependants,whoareoftenunabletoworkthroughage,illnessorinjury.Formany,theGWTWelfarePensionisoftenallthatstandsbetweenaGurkhaveteranandtheirfamilyanddestitution.BeneficiarieslikeTulsideviunderstandthisimplicitly.Shesaid:“There’snotalotIcansaytothosewhoaresupportingmeotherthanthankyou.Youaredoingagoodthing.”FormoreinformationaboutTheGurkhaWelfareTrustpleasevisitwww.gwt.org.uk.

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