In times of disaster, when international aid is flooding in and the host country is unable to cope with the influx, what does the host country do? They have to act fast as time is crucial..... But how to when the country is huge and government fragmented?
What if each group that is interested to help takes charge of 1 village- from shelter, to food, water, sanitation and healthcare needs? What if they adopt the village? Perhaps it may be more cost effective. It may save each team the time and dilemma of travelling to different villages and allow a village to have all rounded aid.
These were some thoughts that preoccupied me as I left Nepal. After providing medical aid in Nepal as part of the Singapore team, my heart felt heavier thinking of the people and how they lacked the basic necessities that we often take for granted. The load they carried along with them to the clinic was more than what my stethoscope and medicines can provide.
Besides medical aid, these people need a lot more. Besides saving lives, we should think about sustaining lives too.
Rebuild a village is our project to provide shelters for the village of Katteldada in Western Nepal. We have embarked on a race against time... against the monsoon that is arriving in Nepal. The village of Katteldada has about 80 houses and 432 inhabitants. The students from this village study in the Sri Saraswoti High School. We hope to raise sufficient money which will be personally given to our Nepalese contact, Netra Sir (the ex-headmaster of the school) to purchase the zinc and wood. The shelters are DIY and come with instructions, allowing the villagers to build their own house.
The zinc and wood will be sturdy enough for the monsoon season, while their houses are being built. Once built, the zinc can be recycled and incorporated into their houses.
Why this particular village?
Many of the students studying in Saraswoti High School, live in this village. Without adequate shelter, school would take second priority for them. That would be a disruption to the schools' efforts of ensuring that the children receive basic education.
For those who have been following my blog, Saraswoti School may sound familiar to you. This was the school where we set up the computer laboratory in 2012 and which Kumaran had visited (together with Mr Krishnan) in 1999. We have seen the school grow... and want to help it and the village move on after this devastating earthquake.
If you are interested to contribute to this project, please email us at rebuild.a.village@gmail.com
To find out more about our previous work in 2012, please visit the other link on Nepal Adventure within this blog. (to note: you would have to scroll right to the bottom of the page as it is in the last section of the journey)
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What if each group that is interested to help takes charge of 1 village- from shelter, to food, water, sanitation and healthcare needs? What if they adopt the village? Perhaps it may be more cost effective. It may save each team the time and dilemma of travelling to different villages and allow a village to have all rounded aid.
These were some thoughts that preoccupied me as I left Nepal. After providing medical aid in Nepal as part of the Singapore team, my heart felt heavier thinking of the people and how they lacked the basic necessities that we often take for granted. The load they carried along with them to the clinic was more than what my stethoscope and medicines can provide.
Besides medical aid, these people need a lot more. Besides saving lives, we should think about sustaining lives too.
Rebuild a village is our project to provide shelters for the village of Katteldada in Western Nepal. We have embarked on a race against time... against the monsoon that is arriving in Nepal. The village of Katteldada has about 80 houses and 432 inhabitants. The students from this village study in the Sri Saraswoti High School. We hope to raise sufficient money which will be personally given to our Nepalese contact, Netra Sir (the ex-headmaster of the school) to purchase the zinc and wood. The shelters are DIY and come with instructions, allowing the villagers to build their own house.
The zinc and wood will be sturdy enough for the monsoon season, while their houses are being built. Once built, the zinc can be recycled and incorporated into their houses.
Why this particular village?
Many of the students studying in Saraswoti High School, live in this village. Without adequate shelter, school would take second priority for them. That would be a disruption to the schools' efforts of ensuring that the children receive basic education.
For those who have been following my blog, Saraswoti School may sound familiar to you. This was the school where we set up the computer laboratory in 2012 and which Kumaran had visited (together with Mr Krishnan) in 1999. We have seen the school grow... and want to help it and the village move on after this devastating earthquake.
If you are interested to contribute to this project, please email us at rebuild.a.village@gmail.com
To find out more about our previous work in 2012, please visit the other link on Nepal Adventure within this blog. (to note: you would have to scroll right to the bottom of the page as it is in the last section of the journey)
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An update from our 'Rebuild the Village' project. We were successful in raising the funds last year. The money was then personally carried over by Mr Krishnan over to Nepal, where he met Mr Netra in Kathmandu. The money was then converted to the local Nepalese currency and it was used to purchase the zinc sheets. The shop was running out of zinc sheets as many foreign companies were buying them. However, when a local (Mr Netra Mani) requested for the zinc sheets, it was readily available and at the original price at which it would be sold to the locals too! Hence the sheets were purchased. We even collected extra money, which was used to restore the damaged school building and library. When we visited them in December 2015, it was heartwarming indeed to see the smiles on their faces and the rooftops they had created. The government had promised them a sum of money, which the villagers had yet to see.
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Mr Krishnan distributing passing the zinc sheets to the villagers
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The zinc sheets were than used to rebuild the homes The villagers shared the sheets equally. Those who could afford to rebuild \their shelters passed their sheets over to their neighbours for them to use.
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