When Situ Kharel appears on stage in London's Ealing Town Hall on 11 October, she will be the first Nepali to hold a solo concert in Britain. Impressive as this is, when she sings the title track from her new album, Paree, the audience is more likely to be awed by her courage and character than just by the event itself. Situ sings about her 18-year-old daughter, Smarika, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder. With stirring vocals, Situ underscores a point that many ignore: disabled children need love and care, not just at home, but from everyone.

This is only the latest part of Situ's campaign to promote awareness and acceptance of handicapped children. Situ's father-in-law, famous lyricist Kiran Kharel, wrote the title track for her first album, also called Smarika, as a personal response to watching his beautiful granddaughter struggle to do things by herself. In a society where disabled children are still not brought out in public, the song has become something of an anthem for the Kharel family.

Situ is studying Indian classical music in London, and her time outside Nepal has taught her a lot about coping with disabled children. "I was inspired to do something for such children after seeing the differences in behaviour and attitude towards them in Nepal and Britain," Situ says. "They should not be confined inside the home. They should be part of the society and they need more love and affection than normal children."

Music and singing has always been a part of Situ and Smarika's relationship, especially as music therapy is recommended for Rett's Syndrome, which Smarika suffers from. Says Situ, "Smarika inspired me to be an artist, and I thought, if I am to sing for her, why not sing for the society as well?"

People have started calling radio and tv stations to say that they also have a child with a disability and that after listening to Situ's songs, they are more aware that these children need more love, care and respect. Situ is gratified with the response: "We have brought it out into the open now."

(Navin Singh Khadka)