Pokhara:

Most tourists while going trekking usually seek strong and healthy locals to accompany them. However, a Japanese trekkers’ team included four differently abled persons in their team to go trekking in Ghandruk region.

The 13-member Japanese team including a professor and students of Nihon Fukusi University have set a new example by including differently abled persons in their trekking team. The team led by professor Yasushi Nojaki along with two visually impaired and two with hearing disability returned to Pokhara on Saturday after a four days’ trek from Pokhara to Ghandruk.

Professor Nojaki, who was accompanying Bachelor level students of Sociology subject

of Nihon Fukusi University, said differently abled persons were included in the team

so that the students got a chance to interact with them as well as get closer to nature.

“Along with the main objective of the trekking i.e. view the natural beauty of the region, I wanted the students to understand the behaviour of the differently abled,” professor Nojaki said.

Among those included in the team were visually impaired Shree Kanta Sapkota and Tankanath Sapkota and Jaman Gurung and Suman Gurung, who have hearing disability. “We got to enjoy natural beauty as well as got to know the experiences and feelings of differently abled,” a student Riyoko Fujita said.

Similarly, another student Yuki Hiro said though those included in the team had physical disabilities, they proved to be great help. Hiro, who knows sign langu-age, said she didn’t have any trouble communicating team members with hearing disability.