Children with these disabilities are regarded by society as a blemish on family status, a punishment for misdeeds in a previous life, an omen of bad luck and generally an object of shame for their parents. Such attitudes make the children, particularly girls, susceptible to exploitation, neglect and abuse. In many cases in Nepal a child woth a mental disability has been locked away out of the sight and the situation with their property rights is a cause for concern. Because of neglect and because parents are often not motivated to see medical advice, the probability of these children developing secondary disabilities in higher than it would be in Western countries. At present there is barely any organisational structure in Nepal to give advice or support to the parents of children with learning disabilities even to the parents of children with learning disabilities even if the parents are initially enthusiastic about giving attention to their child.
Statistics also show that girls are in a worse position than boys.
Boys with mental disabilities are much more likely to be taken to medical facilities than girls and as a result many girls are abandoned to an early death from avoidable causes. It is a against this background that Sungava was founded to try and achieve the aims stated above, to change the attitude of Nepali people and to encourage the government to participate in this field. The formal education programme at the centre begins at the most basic introductory level. The girls are taught Nepali and English alphabets and basic neumeracy skills according to their individual capacities. The aim is to enable them to get by in the outside world without coontinual assistance from being cheated in shops and other public places.