Matrika, himself a mental health patient, was not diagnosed until the age of 25, and it took another four years fully recover. He then chose to talk about his own experiences to de-stigmatise attitudes towards mental health in Nepal, and very quickly became a respected advocate speaking on national TV channels across Nepal.
Matrika founded our partner organization Koshish in 2008, which became instrumental in providing diagnosis, counselling, medication, and support services for mentally ill people in Nepal. For his tireless fight against stigma towards the mentally ill, Matrika has received accolades including the Social Service Award of 2013, the Human Rights Award of the National Human Rights Commission in Nepal, and elected as an Ashoka Fellow in 2017.