“Lucky–For All Concerned”

Here’s a feature I wrote on a Dambar Kadariya, a Nepalese man who has discovered great reward in taking care of the developmentally disabled.  (Appeared in the New Hampshire Sunday News, 2/21/2010 )

In 2001, Dambar Kadariya won the lottery. He didn’t score $50 million, but, for him, receiving word that he had been one of 50,000, chosen for a Diversity Visa– out of worldwide applicant pool of 30 million–to come to the United States, was nearly as exciting.

“It was like winning Powerball,” the Nepal native says, laughing.

Nine months of paperwork and bureaucracy later, Dambar’s plane touched down in New England, and he and his wife and unborn child were set to start a new life in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Now, eight years later, Dambar is a successful Direct Support Professional, serving his eighth year as an employee of Moore Center Services and sporting an impressive piece of recognition: the 2009 Region 7 New Hampshire DSP of the Year award.

“Dambar is a go-getter,” says Linda Perry, his supervisor at the community residence where Dambar cares for three individuals with developmental disabilities. “His relationship with the clients in the house is really good. He treats them with respect and in turn they respect him and will attempt whatever he’s asking.”

Dambar’s story begins in a small village called Mehele, located in the eastern end of Nepal. He grew up in this remote farming community where 60% of the village had no electricity. The buses rarely used the shoddily maintained roads. High school was three hours away and college was even further, a three days’ walk.

Yet he was determined to maximize his schooling and as he pursued his academic career, a common theme presented itself: Dambar’s compulsion to work with people. He earned his degree in education and economics and returned to Mehele to teach high school and eventually become the principal. And as a harbinger of what would await him in his second life, he was active in the disability community in his village.

“It’s not like over here,” he says. “There’s no Moore Center. All of the villagers are farmers and they have to work all day and if they have a child with a disability, often he or she isn’t given as much attention. It’s not that they didn’t care. They just didn’t have the time.”

So Dambar stepped in, seeing to whatever needs he could meet, be it providing clothes or food or even camaraderie.

“I just wanted to see what I could do to help,” he says.

He had no idea that this calling would eventually transform into a successful career, and the application for the Diversity Visa would prove to be the key. Despite the life he had been building in Nepal, Dambar wanted more; he wanted to see the world, find a place in a healthier economy and sidestep an increasingly volatile political situation in Nepal.  Defying enormous odds, Dambar got that visa and nine months later he would join his brother Chandra in the Queen City.

His first job was as a per diem respite provider, before joining Moore Center Services as a full-time direct support staff at its community residence on Douglas Street in Manchester. Shortly after, he moved to his current site, the house on Mammoth Road, and as the years ticked by, he came to realize that his job was more than just a job.

“I’m not doing it just for a paycheck,” he says. “Our clients, they are special people. But they need help and I get to help them. Yes, it is still work, but it feels like family.”

Which isn’t to say it’s not great to receive an award recognizing your service and professionalism. The Region 7 DSP of the Year, given jointly by the New Hampshire Developmental Disability Council and the Community Support Network, came as an enjoyable surprise to Dambar.

“I wasn’t expecting to win,” he says. “I feel like the hard work I did was recognized, and it made be proud to be a part of the Moore Center.”

This recognition came with a new found celebrity, as Dambar recalls the day he was walking in the mall and someone (who he sheepishly confessed he didn’t know) approached him and said: “Hey Dambar! Congratulations on winning DSP of the Year!”

Dambar tries to hide the glow as he tells this story, and the humility and selflessness that has defined his life nearly mask it, until he finally admits: “That was totally unexpected. What a great feeling!”