Much has changed in Nepal, and in the villages where we are working to help improve the lives of those who lost the most, and are most in need of help. Ram has written a little more about what it means to him 12 months after his world was turned upside down by these events…
One of the most-tragic and painful days is April 25! Today marks the first-anniversary of devastating Earthquake that ruined Nepal killing more than 10 thousands people, damaging properties, buildings and heritage leaving large numbers of people injured or physically-challenged. I can’t imagine how frightening it was for others, how helpless we were, how fragile our lives became while tremors shook us time and again! But we stood, did our best, whatever we could do to help each other, we went to the field, tried to wipe the tears of victims with our helping-hands, and comforted each other’s wounded souls!
I apologize for not writing you before as I was busy in helping mountain villages who were badly affected by the earthquake, I was up and down so often. Since I wrote you last time, we were helping donating warm clothes to the poor school children and blankets to the earthquake victims of the mountain villages.
We have also started goat projects. In this project, we donate a couple of goats to the family who are very poor in the villages and can earn some money as a income generation program. Those who received the goats from this project, they have to return two baby goats when their goats give birth so that we could donate those two baby goats to the other family and they can also benefit of the project. We have already donated goats to the 10 families and try to donate more families. It costs US$ 200 for a couple of goats for each family.
We are now focusing in drinking water project in the mountain villages of Kavre district. There are big shortages of drinking water problems after the earthquake, many natural springs have been dried out, villagers are facing a big shortages of drinking water, it seems that some villages have to move into other places due to the lack of water. I am so pleased to tell you that: Drinking water project at Kavre district “one house, one water tap” was finished and every house has got the water tap in front of their house, all the villagers were so happy to get water tap in their houses.
There was a big inauguration ceremony on inauguration program (according to them, it was 1st entertainment program after the earthquake of April 25, 2015) where many people from the surrounding villages and local political leaders had also attained the program, villagers from the Kuber tole were singing, dancing with pleasure. They really appreciated our work. You will see the pleasure of the villagers when you come to Nepal and visit the village. We have been now requested by many villages to do the same project in their own villages. We are planning to do such project in Danda Tole, a neighbouring village where there are 35 houses where people are strugling for drinking water. It costs US$ 5000 for the water project in one village.
I took my wife Sarita with me in an inauguration program and she also really enjoyed the program, she sang many songs and villagers very enjoyed her singing and started dancing.
Here is the video link of Sarita’s singing and villagers dancing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3akv4UmV_9U
We are also doing lunch programs in 3 public schools where the villagers are very poor and can’t afford to feed enough food for their children. We want to help more schools but couldn’t due to the lack of funding. It costs US$180 for a month for the lunch of 75 school children. Please do let me know if you are interested in this project which will be appreciated.
Over these 12 months much was improved thanks to Nepal Foundation and Rams dedication, …and with your help we have successfully built a water system into the Kuber Tole village with each house now getting their own tap. We didnt just build it and leave tho, we setup a committee to maintain it, encouraged them to start poultry farming to bring much needed wealth into the village. The water is metered (each family buying their own meter) and those using more are charged a small top up.
So, the water system will be sustainable. Maintenance will be funded by the villagers. Ram will continue to mentor his new friends there.
Real, sustainable changes!
