Recap of 2016 projects
It has been 31 months since we came together as an international group of compassionate volunteers to help Nepal. With a collaborative spirit, an open mind, and hard work, we have raised and distributed $586,404. Thanks again for being part the effort, and helping us to accomplish so much. Below you can find a list of the organizations we supported, along with a summary of spending by area of focus.
Continue reading
WASH Project Helps 600 People
Volunteers Initiative Nepal, with the help of local community members, has successfully installed 100 toilets for 100 families serving 600 people. WASH stand for water, sanitation and hygiene the biggest component of which is permanent toilets for each family.
Continue reading
Ganesh Tech in Full Effect
Here is a summary of Phase 2 of our Digital Projector and Teacher Training in Panchthar District:
Sandesh Poudel and his team headed back to the Shree Siddheshwori Madhyamik Vidyalaya school to implement phase 2. They spent 4 days at this remote location installing a digital projector and conducting a teacher training. The new teacher was hired with funds provided by WHN. The projector will be used in conjunction with the 5 computers installed during phase 1 of this project.
Continue reading
Life Saving Medication to 8 Districts in Nepal
Medication for Nepal team using a $12,500 donation from WeHelpNepal delivered life saving and essential drugs to 8 districts between December 2015 and February 2016. During that period, due to the economical blockade of India-Nepal border there was a severe shortage of medication in public hospitals around Nepal, including the biggest hospitals - Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu and Patan Hospital.
Continue reading
Smiling Sherpas – Namche Dental Clinic Near Completion
Work on the Namche Dental Clinic stopped during the winter months as it is impossible to build at such high altitude during the coldest months. Work commenced in March and we are very happy to announce the building is now complete. The construction crew is in the process of finishing the interior.
Continue reading
Staying Alive in the Cold - Warm Blankets in Winter Months
Winter temperatures in Nepal were lower than average this year. This created the need for an emergency relief effort to prevent the many displaced Nepali’s living in inadequate housing from freezing to death. Once again Keshab and Sushma Regmi of Manjushris’s Helpers stepped up to help alleviate suffering by helping their fellow countrymen.
Continue reading
Sun Power for Off-the-Grid Villages
The district of Sindhupalchowk was severely damaged during the earthquake and many villages were left without electrical power. The amazing duo of Bikash Sapcota and Lindel Caine headed to the remote area of Echok to add some illumination to the lives of the 110 families that live there.
Continue reading
Healing and Helping - Burn Survivors Nepal
BURN SURVIVORS NEPAL CONTINUE THEIR LIFE SAVING WORK
Burn Survivors Nepal is an NGO which has helped those experiencing the tremendous suffering caused by severe burns which is in a major problem in Nepal. Many patients cannot afford the costs of surgery, medicine and proper care and this is where this organization kicks in saving and has saved many many lives over the years.
Continue reading
Dental & Health Care for 806 Earthquake Victims
A total of 806 patients went through a complete oral health check-up with the majority being treated with extractions, fillings, and fluoride treatments. Special health kits were also distributed to mothers with young children.
Continue reading
Cleaning Up Kathmandu
The mission of the Nepali NGO Clean Up Nepal is to set up a recycling program in Kathmandu and properly dispose of the cities garbage. Dr. Neelam Pradhananga is an expert on the subject and the founder of Clean Up Nepal. Preliminary studies she has undertaken in Nepal show that 70% of the garbage is organic, 15% is recyclable and only 15% need end up in the landfill.
Continue reading
Quake Zone Computer Labs - Skills for a Digital Future
The district and town of Gorkha was one of the hardest hit by the April 25th, 2015 earthquake. Getting children back to school has been a very important step in normalizing their traumatized lives. Adding computer education where none existed before is the cherry on top.
Continue reading
Life-saving medications for the Far West
The Nepalese people are suffering greatly due to political problems in the South of Nepal and a blockade of fuel, medicine and other critical supplies by India. Life saving medicine for blood pressure, diabetes and many other conditions are in short supply in pharmacies, hospitals and clinics throughout the country. The remote western districts are particularly hard hit.
Continue reading
Rebuilding Langtang - Help from Rasuwa Relief
LANGTANG VALLEY GETS STORAGE FACILITIES FOR REBUILDING
The village of Langtang was one of the hardest hit during the April 25th earthquake. A giant piece of ice broke loose from high above and destroyed the village killing over 300 people on this major trekking route.
Austin Lord was hiking in the region with his family when the earthquake hit and they narrowly escaped harm. Since that time he has been working closely with the Langtang community and the majority of the people have decided to rebuild their homes and lives in the valley. He helped to establish Rasuwa Relief to facilitate this and other projects.
Continue reading
Blanket Deliveries Save Lives
WeHelpNepal wants to thank our generous donors for once again providing funds to help the people of Nepal. For over 4 months India has had a blockade on Nepal causing a huge shortage of fuel, medicine and other goods. Add to that extra cold temperatures this winter and you have a crisis on your hands.
The calls for funding for blankets, warm clothing and medicine to alleviate the suffering of the earthquake victims came flooding in and WeHelpNepal responded with a fund drive that has raised $16,500 so far. With the help of Mountain Spirits, we have granted a total of $42,300 sending blankets and warm clothing to remote and high altitude areas of Nepal through our partners CORE, Manjushri’s Helpers, and Nepallink. Over half of this relief has already been distributed with the rest on the way in the next week or two.
Continue reading
WeHelpNepal Year End Report - 2015
As 2016 begins there is still a lot of work to be done to support the people of Nepal in their effort to rebuild their communities and livelihoods since the first earthquake that rocked the country on April 25, 2015. #WeHelpNepal would like to sincerely thank everyone that has made a contribution. The projects would not have been possible without your support.
Continue reading
3 million children at risk this winter
Winter has started in Nepal. With the recent Indian blockade still preventing vital goods from coming into the country and over 200,000 people still displaced in temporary shelters, UNICEF warns that more than 3 million children under the age of 5 are at risk of death or disease during the harsh winter months.If everyone donates just $10 we can deliver blankets to several thousand families in districts that are in most need.
Continue reading
Support Needed - Emergency Medicine & Equipment
Blood Bags for Teaching Hospital Nepal
Amount Requested: $5,000 USD
Nepal has been suffering from an economic blockade for the past 3 months. brought about by protests in the Terai, Nepal’s south plains, over disagreements over the new constitution . Trucks from India are not allowed to freely pass the border with India. There is an acute shortage of petrol and lifesaving medicines among other essential supplies. There is no sign of the situation improving and there is a black marketing on petrol, medicine and other critical supplies. Bringing in emergency supplies by air is the only option for now.
Continue reading
Support Needed - Medical Camps for Remote Villages
HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY NEPAL (HDSN):
We need your help to fund the next three field missions for the tireless doctors of HDSN: 1) Rebuilding a destroyed Health Clinic and providing health care to the people in the area. 2) Continued funding for Dental/Medical camps as described above and 3) Train local medical staff in remote villages in simple dental procedures as the poor population cannot afford to travel long distances to see a dentist. The requested amount for these three projects is $17,000.
Continue reading
Support Needed - Burn Survivors
Project Goals and objectives:
Burn Survivors Nepal is supporting hospitalized burn victims from extremely poor economic backgrounds. Many recent burn survivors have also lost their homes and livelihoods as a direct result of the two major earthquakes in Nepal. Their injuries are due to electrical accidents, unsafe cooking in temporary shelters, incidents of domestic abuse, etc.
Continue reading
Support Needed - Computers for Quake Zone Schools
Ganesh Tech Nepal, a post-earthquake collective of Nepali volunteers, to expand these programs with additional teacher training, well thought out curriculum planning, an e-library, additional software and when appropriate more computers and a digital projector to assist in teaching larger classes.
Sandesh and his team have tirelessly continued their efforts to help their people, first through temporary toilets and now through education that fits our model of disaster relief to sustainable development. The silver lining in all of this is the empowerment of young leaders like Sandesh who will move their country forward. Roughly $2,000 per school is needed to move this program forward.
Continue reading
Looking back while moving forward...
Six months after the devastating earthquake, Nepal is in recovery. WeHelpNepal thanks all of the organizations and Project Leaders for doing an excellent job, and mobilizing donor support to maximum effect - you can read a summary of their work here. The youth of Nepal are in large part responsible for responding quickly and effectively to the disaster…
Continue reading
Health Camp – Dental, Medical, and so much more
WHN members Christine and Craig headed out with Health Development Society Nepal on this two-day multifaceted project to Garambesi in the Lamjung District. HDSN director Dr. Kiran Awasthi organized a partnership with Acupuncturist Without Borders, Quake Volunteers and the local organization SAHODAR Nepal. After a 6-hour bus ride, the last hour down a bumpy dirt road, the team of 24 volunteers arrived at noon and immediately got to work.
Continue reading
Rebuilding the Namche Dental Clinic
The Namche Dental Clinic was established in 1991 with the goal of providing quality preventative and curative dental care in the region. This dental clinic was established as a result of research conducted by Dr. Brian Hollander who found that local children had four times the degree of dental decay of children in the villages just off the trekking trails, due to greater consumption of foods not traditionally found in the Sherpa diet, particularly sugar and candies introduced by tourists trade.
Continue reading
Keep on Computing - Follow-up Visit to Goganpani School
Sandesh Poudel organized a program at the Goganpani Madhyamik Vidyalaya School, which was attended by Christine Kolisch and Craig Lovell of WHN. They were met by the entire student body who received them with a warm Nepali welcome. This was followed by a program that included all of the teachers and students in the school.
Continue reading
Cultural Youth Society to the Rescue - Shelter & Toilets for Sindhupalchowk
Before heading out towards three villages in Sindhupalchowk District with supplies, our Project Leader Netra Kala Chhetri and her team from Cultural Youth Society Of Nepal conducted a survey and determined that the most urgent need was for shelters and toilets. The monsoon had already begun and a big priority was to prevent the spread disease.
Continue reading
Getting Back to Work - Thoka MicroCredit Group
In 2014 Keshab and Sushma Regmi, our Project Leaders for Manjushri’s Helpers started a micro-credit with the help of Christine Kolisch and a private donor. They have been volunteering their time since then and the project has been quite successful. The April 25th earthquake caused a good deal of damage in Thoka. Manjushri’s Helpers responded quickly and were the first to reach many communities - providing food, tarps and tin sheeting to help with immediate needs.
Continue reading
Gimme shelter - Roofing for 3 villages in Sindhupalchowk
Sindhupalchowk district, in Nepal, was one of the most affected due to the earthquakes in April and May this year. The area is very prone to landslides and the earthquakes and its aftershocks triggered even more. With houses and livelihood’s destroyed, the onset of the rainy season made living conditions difficult for the villagers. Thankfully tin roofs (known as CGI Sheets) distributed to some of the affected people made things a bit more bearable.
Continue reading
Life-saving Medical Equipment for Newborn Babies
Incubator Compressors Purchased For Paropakar Maternity Hospital
Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital in Kathmandu is the only government owned hospital in Nepal exclusively for maternity services. Although based in Kathmandu, women and mothers from all over Nepal and from remote villages come here, owing to its reliable and affordable services. Huge number of patients - approximately 26,000 mothers and same number of newborn infants - are annually attended by the hospital.
Continue reading
New Horizons - Computers for Syangja School
Our partner Sandesh Poudel and his newly formed organization Ganesh Tech has provided six networked computers and an E-library to the government school Birendra Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Syangja District southwest of Pokhara. The school has 700 students had been shut down for three months following the earthquake. Although they had a computer instructor and an internet connection they had no computers.
Continue reading
Cultural Youth Society Nepal Continue Work
August was a busy month for Cultural Youth Society Nepal. Uniforms and school supplies were purchased and distributed to 27 students at Mudkshor school in Ramechhap and 30 bundles of metal sheeting for 17 households were distributed to nearby families in need.
Continue reading
Volunteers in Nepal Build Temporary Learning Centers in Okharpauwa
Volunteers in Nepal (VIN) built Temporary Learning Centers (TLC) in Okharpauwa higher secondary school and Shivalaya higher secondary school from Nuwakot, one of the badly affected districts from Earthquake. Over 700 children have directly benefited. Utilizing and referencing design guidelines from the District Education Office, 21 rooms in 2 schools were built with an additional 4 toilets.
Continue reading
Charging On
300 prototype OpenCharger solar panels have been produced in China and will be arriving in Nepal shortly. Here are a few pictures of the panels and chipsets . They look sleek and will help bring some needed light to people in Nepal. More updates on this project as they emerge.
Continue reading
Appropriate Technology Asia Project Update
Appropriate Technology Asia has wrapped up its all round earthquake response, successfully providing food, shelter and medical supplies to impacted communities in the outlying hills of Bhaktapur district.
Continue reading
e-Library Up and Running
Good news from Dhading -- an e-library and learning center with five new computers has been completed allowing students at Shree Goganpani Madhyamik Bidyalaya School to get their digital hands on new books and resources. The project has been diligently managed by Sandesh Poudel from Seeds of Change Foundation.
Continue reading
Tamman Holding London Fundraiser for We Help Nepal
On the 19th September The House of Tammam (London’s only sustainable fashion house) is hosting an event called ‘FUTURE OF FASHION’ at Fairly Square bar, with 10% profit from all ticket sales going to #WeHelpNepal!
Continue reading
Clean Up Nepal Annual National Clean Up
Clean Up Nepal, a local partner of We Help Nepal is holding its Annual National Clean Up day with people and communities from across the country taking action to make life more livable.
Continue reading
The Doctor Has Landed
Dr. Larry Hoover, an Otolaryngologist and former Peace Corps doctor in Nepal during the late 1970s, has returned to Kathmandu with much needed medical supplies. He is currently performing surgeries and conducting in house trainings at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
Continue reading
Barpak Radio License Granted
We Help Nepal is supporting Madhu Acharya, a long time community radio producer, build a station in Barpak, Gorkha. The radio station will be used as a community resource center featuring local news and community led entertainment. Today he got his permit to move forward with the station!
Continue reading
Forest User Group Temporary Shelters
In the immediate aftermath of the April 25th earthquake, the Dhaneshwor Baikiwa Community Forest User Group partnered with Friends of Nepal, a We Help Nepal project, to provide temporary shelters to 15 households that were unable to afford tin and other building supplies. In addition to identifying recipients in need, the forest group was able to use wood from its forest to suppliement the building process going to show how well managed forests can be effective disaster mitigators.
Continue reading
Life in Bode Resettlement Camp
For three months over 1,000 people have been living in temporary shelters near Baktapur, one of the three ancient cities of Kathmandu. We Help Nepal has provided funding for water and sanitation for the residents as they wait out the rains and head back to what remains of their homes and lives at the end of monsoon. Check out this quick video for a glimpse of life in the camp.
Continue reading
Himalayan Medics Get Support from WHN
In the aftermath of the quake, Himalayan Medics responded with emergency supply distribution and essential emergency first aid trainings in Kathmandu and affected districts. Recently, We Help Nepal provided a small grant to provide first responder medical training.
Continue reading
We Help Nepal Tents in Action with Lotus Group
The Lotus Group began providing shelter and provisions for the people of Gorkhana on Day 3 of the earthquake. Today, three months later, they are using land in Gorkhana to provide shelter and activities for the refugees from Thatuphani, an area of Sindupalchowk, Nepal, on the border with Tibet.
Continue reading
A Music Video for We Help Nepal
Our friends over at Known Strangers produced a music video to help raise money for Nepal. You can check out and share their custom made song and music video, featuring footage and photos from We Help Nepal photographers and projects.
Continue reading
HDSN Medical Camp in Sindupalchowk
We Help Nepal helped organize an expedition to Thokhorpa, Sindhupalchowk last weekend. It was a productive two days for a team of 25 volunteers and six organizations coming together for a cause to serve the ones affected by the earthquake.
Continue reading
Tents, Solar Panels & Love, Oh My!
Since the earthquake, We Help Nepal has distributed tents and solar lights to all of our project partners. In our minds, the need for light and shelter were top priorities, and we provided shelter and building material for over 2,000 people, and distributed 500 solar panels, complete with lightbults and USB chargers. Here's some photos from across our project areas highlighting those particular resource distributions.
Continue reading
Rasuwa Relief Building Temporary Learning Centers
In the days after the quake, We Help Nepal connected with Austin Lord of Rasuwa Relief. Their team has continued to do amazing work in the rural area of Rasuwa. Here's a recent update from the ground:
"On July 29th, the Rasuwa Relief TLC team returned from a five day trip to Rasuwa. The trip entailed conducting detailed site assessments of schools and deciding on which schools needed 1) new TLCs 2) support renovating existing TLCs. Based on our assessments, we decided to build three new TLCs: for Archale, Kimarjong Boarding School (Bhorle) and Seti Devi Secondary School (Ramche). In addition, we are renovating two existing TLCs in Archale.
Continue reading
OpenCharger Project Comes to Nepal
Here's an update from our partner's over at the Nepali solar company EcoPrise and the sustainability folks at OpenCharger.com:
"Thanks to a bold collective of folks from around the world looking for innovative, long term sustainable livelihood intentions, we’ve got the seed funding to make organic personal energy devices here in Nepal! Yeah… you heard right… we are turning the table on the global economy!
Continue reading
HDSN Video Update
The Health and Development Society of Nepal has put together a moving picture montage of their work since the earthquake, from health shelters to dental camps in affected areas. You can watch the video below. We Help Nepal is continuing to support their work.
Continue reading
Fundraiser: ClusterFunk at Ophelia's in Denver, CO
The fundraising is still happening! If you're anywhere near the Rocky Mountains, be sure to join in on a night of funk at Chef Justin Cucci's fabulous new restaurant and lounge Ophelia's Electric Soapbox in support of We Help Nepal and Seeds of Change, benefiting those devastated by the recent earthquakes in Nepal.
Continue reading
In Other News WHN in San Francisco Chronicle
We Help Nepal was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle's Sunday newspaper! Read the story about how WHN members Christine Kolisch and Mitch Silver helped connect Sumita Davis with her family in rural Sindupalchowk.
Continue reading
Connecting Dots
Monsoon is here and the earthquake response in Nepal continues. WeHelpNepal gathered for a meet and greet. It was an evening of cross-pollinating ideas and experience, sharing stories and connecting. The evening was a brief but needed reprieve from ongoing work, re-energizing and inspiring us to keep up the response.
Continue reading
Expedition to Helembu for Relief Delivery
Last week, we delivered 6 tons (roughly12,000 pounds) of food to Sindupalchowk district along with more solar lighting. The day before, we bought the food and arranged two four wheel drive trucks and a jeep that could negotiate the 5 hour trip (4 hours off road) from Kathmandu.
Continue reading
Locally Produced Composting Toilet Prototype In Use
#WeHelpNepal is funding Prakrit Ko Gar and their work delivering tents and solar lights to villages around Nepal. The organization's focus is on permaculture, and they have designed a locally-produced base for a composting toilet.
Continue reading
Tin Roofing Materials for Forest User Group in Nuwakot
The Federation of Forest User Groups in Nepal is one of the longest running, community-based networks that exists in Nepal. The group exists to ensure for proper utilisation and equitable distribution of resources available from community forests to improve the socio-economic condition of deprived communities.
Continue reading
Partners in Sustainable Learning Builds Bamboo Shelters
Partners in Sustainable Learning have been operating early childhood services in Eastern Nepal since 2013. They have trained 60 preschool teachers, built schools and classrooms, and provided schooling for over 500 children. After the combined effect of the two earthquakes, they estimate that over 1,000 families have lost their homes in the three VDCs of Okhaldhunga that they operate in.
Continue reading
NepalLink Opens Community Kitchens in Gorkha and KTM
With help from We Help Nepal, Nepallink has set up community kitchens in Kathmandu and Gorkha to feed earthquake victims. Here is an update from them on the kitchen’s progress: "People are really thankful for the kitchen. It means so much for each one of them that it is helping them to reduce at least their worries from what to eat the next day.."
Continue reading
Friends of Nepal Enters Phase 2 with Shelter in Sankhu
As we pass the two month mark for the first earthquake, Friends of Nepal's relief program has firmly entered its second phase. Located in the northwest of the valley, Friends of Nepal began providing temporary living shelters for a minimum 26 families in the Sankhu VDC.
Continue reading
"Regrowing Nepal" Trauma Release Workshop
The Lotus Group has been managing shelter, food and child care for a group of Sinduplchowk refugees that have settled in Gorkana, on the outskirts of Kathamdu. This week, they partnered with EduSoil to put on a weeklong workshop called "Regrowing Nepal." Kids and adults from all age groups had a week long sessions of "feeling," drawing, sharing and processing.
Continue reading
HDSN Win "Hack the Quake" Contest with Transitional Shelter Module
#WeHelpNepal is proud to have helped Dr. Kiran and the Health and Development Society of Nepal invest in resources to explore transitional shelter that is endemic to Nepal. Dr. Kiran and his crew came up with a modular shelter that isn't hot (like tin), has light, and can be used for health centers, schools or families. On Wednesday of this week, they competed in the Nepal Engineer Association (NEA) contest and won in the Health category.
Continue reading
Clearing the Rubble at Changu Narayan World Heritage Site
#WeHelpNepal is supporting Clean Up Nepal, which is currently working with a dedicated and committed group of youth who are working to systematically clear the rubble at the Changu Narayan World Heritage Site. This initiative is being led by the Pikhel Yuwa Club, Changu Narayan Nagarpalika Yuwa Pariwar and Nagarkot Youth Vision Club.
Continue reading
Cultural Youth Society of Nepal Deliver Aid to Sindupalchowk
As the monsoon season has arrived, the main need in Nepal is shelter. To address this, We Help Nepal supported a team of volunteers from the Cultural Youth Society of Nepal bringing temporary housing to Sindhupalchowk district, Mulkharka, Thale V.D.C. Here is an update from the volunteers:
Continue reading
Langtang Valley Health Update
#WeHelpNepal is working with Langtang Valley Health on medical care for the survivors of the Langtang disaster. We have established a medical fund in the name of Sonam and Chandrika, nurses who died in the landslide that buried their village, to cover medical costs for those who have ongoing medical issues relating to the earthquake and avalanche, and require ongoing treatment.
Continue reading
HDSN Organizes Dental Camp for Langtang Refugees
Today it was a chance to meet the policy makers, government officials, bureaucrats to hear their story of the whole post disaster efforts and summarize what went wrong and what we should learn. Meanwhile, my team organized a dental camp at Swayabhu where the displaced people from Langtang had been kept.
Continue reading
Freinds of Nepal Joins with Lincolcn School to Deliver Relief
On May 25th, Friends of Nepal joined hands with Lincoln School's 8th and 9th grade classes to provide 35 household buckets of emergency relief supplies to families in Sankhu.
Continue reading
Prokrit Ko Gar roll out "Helter Shelter" and "To da Loo" Projects
With the monsoon rains quickly approaching in Nepal, one of the main concerns is the spread of disease such as cholera and typhoid fever. Good sanitation is the key ingredient that can prevent the spread of disease. Since the earthquake Prokrit Ko Gar aka (aka Helter Shelter and ToDaLoo) has installed life saving composting toilets in 19 different communities.
Continue reading
Seeds of Change Toilet Posse Build 114 Toilets
On May27th, 2015 a small group of people in coordination of Sandesh Poudel, Research manager at SOCF USA headed towards the eastern part of the Kathmandu Valley, focusing on earthquake victims in Goganpani, Dhading District, Nepal.
Most of the houses had been destroyed and the people are living under tents. The people were psychologically ill thinking that another big earthquake might hit Nepal and destroy what remained of their village.
Continue reading
Lotus Group Coordinates Medical Camp
Day 36. We saw at least 200 patients at our Saturday medical camp today (led by Dr. Eliza Thapa). It was especially for mothers with infants and toddlers but also adults. Most adults wanted to check their blood pressure.
Continue reading
Manjushri's Helpers Keep On It
The team has been busy since our last update. In Sundhupalchowk we erected 16 metal shelters for the Handicapped and the Elderly. The shelters will be used by 75 people. A local volunteer group provided the ground for the camp. We were pleased to be place them before the advent of the full force of the monsoon, which was greatly appreciated by the beneficiaries.We Help Nepal was the first relief group to bring in semi permanent shelters in their area.
Continue reading
Building Bal Balika Kids Camp
The Lotus Group has been running a kids camp for children age 2-7 since the earthquake. A few days ago, a big storm knocked out their temporary shelter. Today, volunteers began rebuilding the community center with bamboo materials. Soon it will be ready for school and art classes again.
Continue reading
HDSN Tests New Shelter Prototype for Health Clinics
This shelter was made as a makeshift healthpost for the people of Lamatar VDC adjoining Kavre. This healthpost provides care for 380 households with a rough estimated population of 1800 people. The locals have planned to shift the medicines and the necessary commodities to the new shelter by today so that it can resume services until a more permanent structure is built by the government.
Continue reading
#WeHelpNepal connects with ROKPA Children’s Home
#WeHelpNepal is pleased to be adding the ROKPA Children’s Home in Boudhanath to our list of collaborating partners.
The ROKPA Children's Home first opened in March 1996, and has provided a safe home and schooling for 100s of children over the years. In March 2005 a new property was completed and this building withstood the massive earthquake that shook Nepal on April 25th.
Continue reading
330 Household Packages Sent to Kartike-Gumba VDC
On May 9th, Friends of Nepal sent 330 household packages into the town of Kartike where neighboring communities walked several hours from Gumba VDC ward 7,8 to pick up relief material. Friends of Nepal-We Help Nepal volunteer and photographer, Surachet Pong along with our local contact Janden Dorje Lama, accompanied the distribution truck and were in Gumbathan when the second 7.3 magnitude earthquake occurred on May 12th, but thankfully returned safely back to Kathmandu on May 14th.
Continue reading
HDSN Shifting from Sanitation to Shelter
As we have taken our step into shelters along with the existing hygiene and sanitation we decided to break up the core group with various responsibilities. The soaps, phenyl and bleaching powder are still being taken by various relief groups heading out of the valley but the numbers are slowly declining which is why we are targeting the DHOS of Dolakha, Sindhupalchowk in the coming days with a heavy consignment for them to distribute.
Continue reading
Second Earthquake Rocks Nepal- May
The Atlantic reports: Weeks after a devastating mega-quake killed thousands, a 7.3-magnitude temblor hit on Tuesday. On Wednesday, rescue and relief operations continued in Nepal and northern India following Tuesday’s 7.3-magnitude earthquake. The death toll rose to nearly 70 and many impacted by the disaster slept outside as aftershocks continued.
Continue reading
Reconnaissance trip to Sindhupalchowk by Manjushri's Helpers
It was 5.15 PM when we left Kathmandu for Sindhupalchowk. We needed to determine how many shelters we could provide this badly effected earthquake district. We had hoped to reach Barbise by 8PM that night. It started raining heavily as we approached Simle, so we stopped for dal bhat (rice and lentils). Suddenly the ground was shaking violently. It was another earthquake of at least a 5. magnitude, which kept jolting us over and over, and the epicenter was again in Sindhupalchowk.
Continue reading
The Story of Friends Nepal
Two days after a massive 7.8 earthquake devastated much of Nepal, about 30 friends in their 20s, who had grown up together in Kathmandu, knew they had to do something urgently.
"It was almost a moral obligation”, said Anne McGuinness, 28, who like many of her friends has one parent from either Tibet or Nepal. "Because all our friends and relatives were safe, we felt we needed to help those less fortunate. We knew government help would be very slow."
Continue reading
#WeHelpNepal connects with #FillTheBucket
#Fillthebucket was founded in the aftermath of the natural disasters that hit Nepal after the monsoon rains in 2014.
The idea was to deliver versatile buckets containing basic essentials like non perishable food items, first aid, toiletries, and tarpaulins for temporary shelter. Within a month's time #Fillthebucket was able to assist 2500 affected homeless families covering more than 12 villages. Immediately after the earthquake on April 25th, #fillthebucket started a recce in and around Kathmandu to assess what was most essential to the victims.
Continue reading
Friends of Nepal Sets Up Distribution Center in Fussball Stadium
Our team on the ground is rocking strong with a full on distribution center inside the Grassroots Recreational Center Fussball stadium. They are collecting, packaging, and distributing some of the first materials making it into Sindupalchowk and other districts.
Continue reading
#WeHelpNepal connects with NepalLink
Nepallink was founded in 1987, and mainly funded by CH private sponsors.
They currently have the following projects:
Two orphanages, two schools, two widow projects and one farm.
They also have smaller projects they support, such as one working with street children.
Continue reading
Dr Kiran Awasthi On Preventing a 2nd disaster
On 10th April 2015, Dr Kiran Awasthi had enjoyed a recent birthday, and was wondering whether his work at the Health and Development Society of Nepal (HDSN) was more dentistry, public health or accounting. Just two weeks later, he knew the direction his life needed to take. The devastating earthquake inspired a call to action and he mobilized the 1995 alumni from St Xavier’s College in Kathmandu. Some were overseas and raised funds, while others worked on the ground to distribute sanitation equipment to hospitals and medical camps. They were committed to preventing further epidemics in this period of disaster.
Continue reading
UPDATE: MANJUSHRI'S HELPERS PROJECT - May 3rd, 2015
Manjushri's Helpers were first responders in Sankhu village, bringing much needed supplies of food and medicine.
Kesab, Sushma, Raj Kumar and other team members made distributions to villagers who lost the majority of their homes on the edge of Kathmandu Valley, famous for its beautiful temple of Vajrayogini.
Continue reading
Update: Friends of Nepal - May 3rd, 2015
We currently have a group of 20 volunteers, and are staying in touch with communities in case they don’t get aid next week.
To date, our relief efforts have have provided for 5,000 people.
Continue reading
VIDEO Update: Yanik - May 2, 2015
So yesterday we managed to go to two villages of our friends in Sindhupalchowk. We got to reach the village and do the drop.
Continue reading
Collection Points for Relief Materials- Status Update April 30th
To date, Friends of Nepal and our collective on the ground have collected, bought, and delivered several tons of supplies of rice and dahl and relief materials. They organized a helicopter yesterday, and have helped load four semi-trucks to go out into villages. The collective is 20 people strong on the ground,
and they are collecting supplies all across Kathmandu.
Continue reading
Successful Delivery of Relief Supplies: The Manjushri's Helper Project
We just finished speaking to our man on the ground Kesab. He has been going out to the outlying villages and delivering water, rice, dhal, noodles and chura. He has gone also to Cheppu's micro credit village of Tokha which was badly hit - at least 5 women farmers are homeless. The organizer of the micro group who knew how to get in touch with all of the members was killed in the quake.
Kesab delivered supplies to the Tokha residents also. Today he is going out to two other small villages (Sankhu and Boudhanilakhanta) which are getting no help from the larger organizations.
Continue reading
By the Grace of the Gods
"I was trying and trying to call a close friend in Kathmandu. I misdialed and a man answered the phone, not my friend. I apologized, but then asked him if he was ok. Yes, he said , he and his family were alive by the grace of the gods. I told him that I was praying for him and all those who are suffering in Nepal. He started to cry and said it was so good to know that someone so far away cared. I cried too."
Nepal Earthquake Relief - Status Update April 28th
I have just had a long conversation with a trusted Nepali friend in Kathmandu. He reports chaos and massive corruption. Aid supplies are not getting released - medicine sits on the tarmac, relief workers wait at the airport without anyone telling them where to go, government officials are stealing the tents and other donations to sell, Outlying areas are being ignored.
Continue reading
From Bob Schue
This came in from Bob Schue, a long time friend of Nepal (early Peace Corps).
"I received a call from Rajeesh Shrestha, my 40 year Nepali friend. Rajeesh was calling from
El Cerrito, just after getting a connection to his wife's family in
Basantapur. The family had gone back into the 5 story old house to seek
shelter from the monsoon storm. He was talking to his cousin when she
screamed; "Another Earthquake!" The building collapsed on her and the
entire family. Her last words were to Rajeesh: "We are all dying; we go in
peace with the Gods"
#NepalEarthquake from Kesang Sherpa
So many little babies. No proper shelter. No proper food. No government presence. No international aid. Distributed what we could 2day. Along with water with glucose powder mixed in, biscuits, noodles, chocolate, beaten rice, apples, bananas, oranges etc. Thankfully few local shopkeeprs have braved it and opened for business saying "whatever happens I'm going to keep selling".
Continue reading
"Dear All of My friend" from Ngima Sherpa
A letter from our dear friend Nima Sherpa about his situation, and an example of the personal requests that will be streaming in:
"hello chrish and bodhi
as you heard that nepal is in tragedy and even my house and office has been collapsed
and all of my children are spending their night out
i am really worried and upset about them but thank god they are a live and now i have send you the attachments
about my family, please check a look
kindly regards"
-Ngima sherpa
Continue reading
Kesab and Susima Regmi
Kesab and Susima Regmi are good friends who work with Christine Kolisch in her importing business and school scholarship programs. They have 50 people camping in their backyard from their local neighborhood who they are helping in this time of need.
Continue reading