Bal Mandir rescue puts child care failures under scrutiny

A viral video of Nepal's Women, Children and Senior Citizens Minister Sita Badi breastfeeding a rescued infant has sparked widespread public attention and praise for what many described as an act of maternal compassion. The 17-day-old girl in the video was not Badi's own child but one of 20 infants rescued from a shelter home operated by the Nepal Children's Organisation (NCO) at Bal Mandir in Naxal, Kathmandu.

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When I took it in my arms, I saw my own child in her. Before I realised it, tears began filling my eyes.

The rescue, which occurred on July 18, followed concerns raised about the deteriorating living conditions at the facility, particularly during the monsoon season. The children, aged between 15 days and two years, were moved after reports emerged of sewage entering living areas and inadequate care. A social media user's comment prompted the minister to visit the facility unannounced, where she found children in unclean clothes and with runny noses.

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I never imagined I would become a parliamentarian or a minister. When I was assigned this portfolio unexpectedly, it felt like something I could relate to personally.

Minister Badi, who herself spent part of her childhood in a care home, expressed a deep personal connection to the incident. She ordered an emergency evacuation during heavy rainfall after seeing photographs of the poor conditions, which showed infants placed on a single floor mat in a room contaminated by sewage. The NCO chairperson initially objected to the evacuation, alleging officials aimed to shut down the organization.

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Sewage had entered the room where infants below two years were kept, forcing staff to move them to an administrative office.

The incident has placed child care failures at the Bal Mandir shelter under scrutiny, highlighting issues within the Nepal Children's Organisation. The rescue operation involved multiple government bodies, including the KMC Child Rescue Task Force and the KMC Child Rights Committee, underscoring the systemic issues at the facility.

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Twenty infants were placed on a single floor mat, and dry instant noodles had been scattered in front of them.