WE HELP NEPAL - SIX MONTH REPORT 2 0 1 5 APRIL TO OCTOBER · Appropriate Technology Asia (ATA) focuses on appropriate technology in Nepal. After the earthquake their team took to

WE HELP NEPAL - SIX MONTH REPORT APRIL TO OCTOBER 2 0 1 5

W E H E L P N E P A L S I X M O N T H R E P O R T | 3

We Help Nepal is a network supporting peer-to-peer earthquake relief efforts

WE’RE NOT TRADITIONAL RELIEF

We Help Nepal formed in response to the April 15th earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015.

We are a network of artists, business owners, doctors, teachers and devel-opment workers who have lived or are currently living in Nepal. We are united by our mutual connection to Nepal and our commitment to alternative develop-ment models.

Our expertise comes from our aware-ness of the Nepali social and political landscape, and our connections to local organizations that are beneath the inter-national radar.

The recent earthquake was a natural disaster intensified by the man-made forces of rapid development, poverty, and conflict driven displacement. This fund will support immediate earthquake relief and rebuilding efforts rooted in a philosophy of relief to self-reliance, disaster to sustainable development.

We recognize that in this tragedy there are seeds of hope that will sprout from the rubble.

OUR GOALS ARE SIMPLE

1) Raise funds for earthquake recovery based on mutual trust, financial transpar-ency, and full accountability.

2) Use our decades of experience in Nepal to empower grassroots relief organiza-tions that build long-term networks of self-reliance.

3) Support local organizations doing community-level work that have the capacity to lead disaster relief and recovery efforts.

OUR CRITERIA FOR FUNDING

Locally-led and staffed.

Corruption-free – money supports need, not greed.

Build capacity at the community level.

Support long-term resilience and autonomy.

Committed to social justice and sustain-ability.

Click on corners to turn page

4 | W E H E L P N E P A L S I X M O N T H R E P O R T

Thank You. It has been six months since the first earthquake that rocked Nepal on April 25, 2015. In the hours, days, and weeks after the quake, #WeHelpNepal formed a de-facto network around the world and on the ground. Thank you for joining us in immediate action - our teams were first responders, and are still working in villages with limited access to outside funds.

Over the past few months, #WeHelpNepal has funded over 26 projects, from small grants to large scale initiatives. We have spent $259,011 of $545,932 raised on immediate relief: temporary shelters, food and supplies, sanitation projects, and medical assistance. We mobilized helicopters and lorries, organized child care and community kitchens in refugee camps, designed locally produced composting toilets and transitional health care facilities, and delivered hundreds of tons of food.

Now, as the monsoon lifts across Nepal, we are shifting into support for longer-term rebuilding. It has never been #WeHelp-Nepal’s goal to form a new organization, but to facilitate the work of community-based organizations already on the ground. We are supporting sustainable, locally-led initiatives that incorporate a progressive-yet-practical approach to rebuilding Nepal.

Each of the projects detailed in this report was made possible by your contributions. As we move into our next phase of work, you can continue to support our work at http://www.wehelpnepal.org/contribute. As the world’s attention shifts elsewhere, our ongoing compassion and friendship for Nepal means more than ever.

Finance, Communications, and Project Coordination:

Lilia Villa, Christine Kolisch, Craig Lovell, Bodhi Garrett, Forrest Grant, Greg Voelm, Nat Needham, Amanda Needham, Christopher Gish, Lucy Draper-Clarke, Manohari Upadhyaya, Anniina Rantala, Nicole Lemmo, Monica D’Onofrio

On the Ground Project Leaders:

Keshab & Sushma Regmi, Kesang Sherpa, Anne McGuinness, Mitchell Silver, Kishor Lohani, Dr. Kiran Awasthi, Jenny Adhikari, Pawel Skawinski, Neelam Pradhananga, Sandesh Poudel, Naina Rawal, Som Lama, Raghunath Neupane and Krishna Basnet

Sincerely,

WE HELP NEPAL TEAMWe mobilized helicopters and lorries, organized child care

and community kitchens in refugee camps, designed

locally produced composting toilets and transitional

health care facilities, and delivered hundreds of tons of

food.


Ark Foundation · Avaaz.org · Mountain Spirits · LandMar Fund, in memory of Mary Boardman & Richard OlsenChandra Gurung Conservation Trust · Cheppu Himal · Elizabeth Lynn Foundation · Lancaster Nepal · Long View Systems · Maverick Capital · Trilogy Excursions · Wilderness Travel · Peter and Kathleen Metcalf Fund with The Nature Conservancy · Franklin Legacy FoundationCloudburst · Earth Divas · Elise J. Lufkin via Impact Assets of the Starweather Fund · Himalayan Fair · Jennifer Woods Tierney Founda-tion · Judith Ann Kaplan Fund of RSF Social Finance · MK Grati-tude Fund of RSF Social Finance

We couldn’t have helped Nepal without contributions from across the globe.

Thanks especially to the following donors.


By the numbers...38% on SHELTER

30 % on FOOD & IMMEDIATE RELIEF

8% on SUPPORT for WOMEN & CHILDREN

7.5% on SANITATION

8% on MEDICAL

7% on SOLAR POWER

TOTAL RAISED: $545,932

TOTAL SPENT: $259,011


Manjushri Helpers: Delivering relief of food, water, medical supplies, bedding, tents, metal roofing, and solar lights to villages in Sindhupalchowk and Tokha. Initial support for tent camps in outlying neighborhoods of Kathmandu.

Friends of Nepal: Supporting blankets, food, and trucks to provide immediate relief to small villages in Sindhupalchowk, transitional shelter in Kavre and Sankhu.

Lotus Group: Collective of women focusing on care packages for mothers with infants, emergency provisions, shelter, and daycare center for Sindupalchowk refugees in Gorkana.

Himalayan Medic Collective supporting first aid trainings and safety awareness.

Prakriti Ko Ghar: Providing temporary shelter and composting toilets in five districts: Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Dolakha.

Project 108: Food, water purification, medicines, blankets and solar battery chargers in Mirge village in Dolakha.

Solar Power Project: Distributing single solar light units and solar charging stations, suitable for use in a tent.

Seeds of Change Foundation: Instal-lation of toilets and e-library centers.

Rasuwa Relief: Distributing tarpaulin and tent shelter, food and cooking provi-sions, basic first aid medical supplies, solar powered battery cells, and telephone recharge cards to seven communities in the Upper Bhote Kosi Valley of Rasuwa district.

Mitchell Silver Relief Project: Distrib-uting food supplies and solar lights to rural Tamang villages.

Cultural Youth Society of Nepal: Expedi-tion to Mulkharka, Thale V.D.C to build temporary shelters.

Madhu Barpak Radio: Building a commu-nity radio station in Barpak.

Rural Community Development Center: Building materials for 75 underserved families in the RCDC’s rural district.

Tent Project: Distributing tents to villages in Kathmandu, Sindupolchock, Gorkana, Nuwakot, and Rasuwa districts.. Doklakha District Roofing Project: Roofing and construction supplies for Dolakha.

Hile of Bageshwari Roofing Project: Roofing for 44 disenfranchised families, including 13 dalit families.

Health and Development Society Nepal (HDSN): Designing transitional health centers and schools through locally sourced material, distributing sanita-tion equipment to prevent the spread of disease.

Clean Up Nepal: Working on waste management, purifying water and building basic shelters in Bhaktapur and Sindhu-palchowk.

ROKPA Children’s Home: Housing for homeless youth, professional training for single mothers, warm meals to the homeless and destitute.

Nepallink: Food kitchens to support widows and orphans in Gorkha.

Langtang Valley Health: Support of refugees from the Langtang area who are residing in a tent camp at Yellow Gompa (Monastery) in Kathmandu.

Appropriate Technology Asia: Low cost and environmentally low impact technologies to assist the development of local communities in post-earthquake regions.

Partners In Sustainable Learning: Transitional shelters for Okhakdhunga villagers and a training program for locals on construction.

Open Charger Project: An intiative to assemble bamboo encased solar lights in Nepal to create a low-cost and sustainble alternative to plastic solar lights.

Volunteers Initiative Nepal: Local organi-zation focusing on building bamboo shelters and schools

Larry Hoover Medical Relief: Dr. Larry Hoover brought medical supplies and training partners to a local teaching hospital in Kathmandu.

$ 76,295 ON IMMEDIATE

RELIEF

$ 92,835 ON SHELTER & BUILDING

MATERIALS

$18,450 ON SOLAR

LIGHTS

OUR PROJECTS & PARTNERSHIPS



ProjectsAccording to the United Nations, the 2015 Nepal earthquakes

killed more than 8,617 people and injured more than 16,808.

More than 2.8 million people were displaced. Its epicenter

was east of the district of Lamjung and its hypocenter was

at a depth of approximately 15 km. It was the worst natural

disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 earthquake.

Nepal is one of Asia’s poorest countries, and has little ability

to fund a major reconstruction effort on its own. The U.S.

Geological Survey initially estimated economic losses from

the temblor at 9 percent to 50 percent of gross domestic

product, with a best guess of 35 percent. Rajiv Biswas,

an economist at a Colorodo based consultancy, said that

rebuilding will need international effort over the next few

years as it could “easily exceed” USD $5 billion, or about 20

percent of Nepal’s GDP.

The following projects highlight our attempt to help in

Nepal’s effort to build back better. From immediate relief

to shelter and solar lights, We Help Nepal is contributing to

Nepal’s future one project at a time.

TOTAL SPENT ON MAJOR PROJECTS: $259,011

1 0 | W E H E L P N E P A L S I X M O N T H R E P O R T

Partners in Sustainable LearningPartners in Sustainable Learning’s mission is to support early childhood education in developing countries before the earthquake. In Nepal, Partners in Sustainable Learning built eleven Early Childhood Centers, trained sixty teachers, outfitted over thirty class-rooms with furniture, cabinets and rugs, and developed a developmentally-appropriate early childhood curriculum. After the earthquake, PiSL decided to help with rebuilding, specifically providing shelter to families in their project area, Okahldhunga. Over 500 children, 60 newly-trained educators and 30 diverse villages have benefited from PiSL’s efforts.

WeHelpNepal provided a grant to build 25 homes in the Okhaldhunga community. They worked in collaboration with each ward office to select 25 families. Families were selected based on priority needs; those with infants, elderly people, disability, single woman, pregnant women and sick people were selected first. To complete the project, they posted an advertisement in local communities for masons and local volunteers, selecting 13 masons and 42 local volunteers. An engineer designed a transitional shelter, and a training was held to provide life skills and technical knowledge for the building.

Constructing the roof on a house. Building the base of the house.

W E H E L P N E P A L S I X M O N T H R E P O R T | 1 1

BY THE NUMBERS #

Dollar amount received $3,750

Temporary houses built 25

Families helped 25

Masons employed 13

Volunteers engaged in work 42

“We are so happy to have this home. I am not sure it will be our

life time home. But, we have no capacity to build another home. It has brought new hope in our life to help us survive.” Kale Majhi,

Bhadaure VDC Ward 4

ATA team distributes hygiene kits to women.


Appropriate Technology AsiaAppropriate Technology Asia (ATA) focuses on appropriate technology in Nepal. After the earthquake their team took to providing immediate relief for families in their region. ATA prioritized 100 families on the basis of degree by the impacts of earthquake and their vulnerability. In Bhaktapur Durbar Square area, Changunarayan, Telikot and Nagarkot, they focused on Dalits, people from northern villages far from their home, pregnant women, new born babies and their mothers, and homeless people living in tents.

ATA distributed foodstuffs for 100 household/families which included: 30kg of rice, 1kg of lentils, ½ lt of oil, 1kg of salt, 1kg Sugar, half dozen Butter Cracker biscuits and one box of instant noodles per household. The distributed foodstuffs were intended to last for a period of two months depending upon the number of people in each family. In addition, ATA distributed hygiene kits for 100 women in the above mentioned areas. The kit contained soap (for washing and bath), toothpaste, brush, towel, sanitary pad, and diaper, feeding bottles for babies, spoon, glass, and toilet paper, blanket, clothes etc.

Tin shelters constructed. Food kits ready to be distributed.


in order to minimize impact of cold/rain and other vulnerable diseases, they also conducted informal education on hygiene and proper disposal of used sanitary pads i.e. digging holes and bury underground (only option during that time), water purifica-tion and maintenance of proper hygiene, to provide extra hygiene while feeding children, lactating mother, babies and elderly people. ATA also distributed medicines to 100 families in order to deal with minor health problems.

Finally, a number of families requested support with roofs tarpaulins and zinc sheets. ATA provided 100 pieces of tarpaulins and 20 bundles of zinc sheets as well as iron poles to construct ten temporary shelters in different project areas. Families of victims arranged and paid for technicians and required machines/equipment to construct the temporary shelters. Recipients were happy to contribute their labour by assisting in constructing one another’s shelters.

BY THE NUMBERS #


Number of families helped 100

Food kits (rice, dal, oil, sugar, biscuits) 100

Blankets 137

Hygiene kits (dental care, soap, diapers, bottles, basic medicine) 100

Cloth for women’s clothing 130

Bundles of tin sheeting (6/bundle) 20

Tarpaulin tents 80

Water buffalo runs through area where a truckload of supplies has been delivered to be carried to villages.


Mitch Silver Relief ProjectMitch Silver has a long-term connection to Nepal. Initially involved in micro-hyrdo projects in the 1970’s, he has maintained a connection to the country over the past few decades. After the earthquake, Mitch raised money through #WeHelpNepal, and decided to personally volunteer to help distribute food supplies and solar lamps to earthquake victims in Nepal.

In partnership with Sumita Davis, a friend whose family’s Tamang village had been destroyed in the quake, Mitch led two expedi-tions to deliver food supplies and lights. Together, they delivered six tons (nearly 12,000 pounds) of food to Sindupalchowk district. The items were distributed to 186 individuals from 65 households. The villagers had to walk from between three to seven hours to get to the road head to meet the trucks, then walk home with their packs of supplies.

In addition to food distribution, additional funds were allocated to build temporary shelters and cover school expenses for two internally displaced families in the Tamang village that aid was distributed to. Two shelters were built to house five adults and their six children, and school fees and materials were bought for the children.

Receiving solar lights in Helumbu. Villager receiving provisions in Helumbu.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Amount of food items delivered (in pounds) 12,000

Households that received food aid 65

Individuals supported by the food distribution 186

Walking distance from road of nearest village that received aid 3 hours

Temporary shelters built 2

Children school fees paid 6

Solar lights 178

The team gathering around the construction site.


Volunteers Initiative NepalVolunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN), established in 2005 by a diverse group drawn from development workers, educationalists, social activists and other professionals, is a non-religious, non-political, non-for-profit, and non-governmental organization (NGO). Their mission is to empower marginalized communities through enhanced education, health & environment, economy and basic infrastructure development with a special focus on women and children by conducting training and research, mobilizing skilled local and international volunteers to promote equality, economic well-being and basic human rights.

The communities VIN has been working in (Jitpurphedi of Kathmandu, Taluwa, Thulachhap & Bhadaure of Okhaldhunga and Okharpauwa of Nuwakot) have been devastated. Almost all houses were destroyed, with the majority of food, clothes and cooking resources buried under the broken houses. Jitpurphedi, Okhaldhunga and Okharpauwa alone have witnessed 39 deaths and over 100 injured. All school buildings were damaged. Three schools from Okharpauwa, three from Jitpurphedi and four from Okhaldhunga needed immediate temporary learning centers (TLCs).

Shivalaya school after the earthquake.

Okharpauwa school after earthquake.


VIN built two temporary learning shelters (TLC) in Okharpauwa VDC funded by We Help Nepal. Thirteen classrooms and four small rooms for toilets were built Okharpauwa secondary school, and eight classrooms were built for Shivalaya Secondary school. The project has supported more than 700 students, 33 teachers and more than 1000 parents.

BY THE NUMBERS #


Number of temporary shelters built 2

Number of classrooms built 21

Toilets built 4

Students supported 700+

Parents supported 1,000+

Teacher’s supported 33

People on local construction team 28


ROKPA Children’s HomeROKPA Children’s home is an orphanage located in Nepal. While emergency aid for disaster areas is not one of ROKPA’s core competencies, the home moved quickly and efficiently to provide assistance. ROKPA’s priority was to distribute food and tarpaulins to enable people who lost everything build simple shelters in which to live before the end of May the impending monsoon rains.

The ROKPA task forces also administered first aid to the wounds and injuries of the victims. ROKPA set-up mobile task forces consisting of volunteers, local ROKPA employees as well as current, former and older ROKPA children. Tal Siano, a trained paramedic formerly of the Israeli army, flew in to give support, and was responsible for these teams. From 11 May, The ROKPA team was further reinforced by a Swiss nurse who became involved as a volunteer.

“Our work is normally undertaken

from a long-term and sustainability

perspective. However, in

the case of the earthquake, it was obvious that ROKPA could not sit

idly by.”

Providing medical treatment in a village. Clearing out rubble in a village.


WeHelpNepal contributed to ROKPA’s disaster relief fund. Between 1st and 18th May, a total of 10 missions travelling significant distances were made inland from Kathmandu with the aim of providing ‘first emergency relief’ to villages where humanitarian organizations had yet to arrive. A total of around 720 households in 9 villages were served by our volunteers. 5.5 tons of rice (some of it in pre-cooked flaked-form), 210 kg lentils, 265 kg of salt and 90 litres of cooking oil were distributed. The 166 tent tarpaulins were particularly popular because of their added potential and flexibility for use in the monsoon season as protec-tion for humans, animals and/or crops. Approximately 150 patients were given emergency medical assistance, some of whom were transferred to hospitals due to the severity of their injuries.

BY THE NUMBERS #


Expeditions to villages 10

Households helped 720

Villages served 9

Patients receiving medical treatment 150

Tarpaulins distributed 166

Food items distributed 5.5+ tons

Delivering food supplies in Rasuwa.


Rasuwa ReliefOne of Rasuwa’s principle regions, the Langtang Valley, suffered one of Nepal’s single-most devastating earthquake-related events when an avalanche destroyed multiple villages and killed over 300 local and foreign persons in the popular trekking and eco-tourism landscape. Despite widespread global media attention to the Langtang disaster, many communities elsewhere in Rasuwa received no significant relief aid nearly two weeks after the seismic events of 25 April. Rasuwa Relief organized in response to this humanitarian emergency and to fill a void left by the international humanitarian and government aid sector in Nepal.

A 100% volunteer operation, the team profile is 70% Nepali and 30% foreign, comprising social scientists, artists, activists, and development specialists. With the funding received from Avaaz through #WeHelpNepal, Rasuwa Relief provided direct emergency support to 1194 households in Rasuwa District as well as 1143 households in the Langtang Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Kathmandu, totaling 2337 households. This was augmented with nearly $15,000 in donations that Rasuwa Relief generated through online fundraising campaigns.

Villagers arrive to receive material at distribution site. Building shelter in Rasuwa.


Rasuwa Relief is currently coordinating the: construction of semi-permanent housing and sanitation facilities in Kathmandu for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Langtang Valley; distribution of metal roofing for 200-300 households in Rasuwa’s western Village Development Committees (VDCs); completion of scientific hazards and risk analysis prior to reconstruction in severely affected areas; development of micro-grid energy solutions through hydro and solar power facilities; restoration of Tibetan-Nepali religious and cultural sites and artifacts; and establishment of long-term partnerships between international supporters and local leaders in Kathmandu and Rasuwa.

BY THE NUMBERS #


Households reached in Rasuwa & IDP camps: 1,168

Hygiene kits 75

Tarps 300

Tents 100

Blankets 77

Cooking kits 112

Full kits delivered (hygiene, cooking, tarps) 124

Food 7,000 kg

Left: Distribution of aid materials at Thali camp.

Bottom left: Kids at Bal Balika Kids Camp.

Bottom right: Mother r e c e i v i n g c a re package.


Lotus Group The Lotus Group mobilized into action as early as April 27th 2015, two days after the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake of April 25th, 2015. Operating out of the Thali, Gorkana public square, their focus was on children, pregnant women, post partum women, and families with young children, as well as the most vulnerable such as the injured and the elderly. The Lotus Group distributed immediate relief of food items, special mother/infants bags, started ‘Bal Balika Kids Camp’ to serve 200 children in the public ground of Thali, Gokarna, and provided basic immediate shelter for 65 families displaced from Tatopani Sindupalchowk. In addition to this work in Gokarna, they took relief to remote areas of the affected districts with the reach of local networks.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Dried food relief 400 families

Blankets 500 families

Staple food relief (rice, dal, etc.) 479 families

Foam mats 253

Bamboo for building temporary shelter 80 families

Solar light kits 200

Waterproof tents/metal shelters 37

Woman/Infant kits 300

People served by medical camps750

Children served by childcare 400

9mm thick plyboard platforms 45 families

Digging holes for composting toilets.


Prakriti Ko GharPrakriti Ko Ghar is a Nepali NGO dedicated to sustainability. It focuses on creating residential resiliency, self-sustainability, educa-tional opportunities and food production for the citizens of Nepal by creating sustainable libraries for community development, functional structures, natural building, increasing environmental awareness, improving agricultural capabilities/production/diversity which brings diversity to the local economy thus improving Nepal’s GNP.

In the weeks after the earthquake the organization focused on sanitation initiatives and providing shelter at the Bode Resettle-ment Camp. The team installed over 250 composable toilets, distributed tents and tarpaulins, and installed a wash station and community hall for the 1200 residents of Bode Resettlement Camp., alongwith managing the camps activties.

Prototype of community toilet alongside sample of supplies delivered.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Number of toilets built 250

Water tanks installed in resettlement camp 3

Population served by toilets 6,700

People with access to clean water in camp 1,200

Members of the Langtang community that Langtang Valley Health team helped.


Langtang Valley Health $4,131Langtang Valley Health, a community healthcare provider in Langtang, was deeply affected by the earthquake. We Help Nepal established a medical fund in the name of Sonam and Chandrika, two of their 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.

The funds covered two major cases requiring surgery, and the care of at least 25 older people in need of medical care in the area. One woman with an unstable spinal fracture was given a strong prognosis after undergoing surgery funded by We Help Nepal, and a two-year-old boy with both legs broken has received surgery and treatment including physical therapy. While Langtang Valley Health does not plan on reopening as a result of the losses they sustained as a result of the earthquake, the care and community support they provided after the quake was indispensible.

Open Charger Project$4,000

Prototypes of the bamboo cased solar lights, powered by a solar charged cellphone battery.


The Open Charger Initiative is a small start up project that is importing individual solar and lighting chip components to Nepal for assembly and sale. The project aims to foster more innovation and local know how in custom solar and lighting solutions using natural components like bamboo for casing. The project partnered with a local solar production facility in Nepal to create a sustainble, low-cost solar prototype. The idea is that Nepal can move into assembling small-scale solar products and create an industry around designing and assembling, not just importing, solar lights.


Friends of NepalIn the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, friends and family around Kathmandu got together to respond. One group of friends that knew each other through their studies at Lincoln International School began collecting supplies outside major supermarkets. Their collection points turned into an operation reaching thousands of people immediately following the earth-quake, and ultimately supported rebuilding efforts as well. Known locally as Friends of Nepal, the group focused on delivering emergency relief household packages of food and shelter directly to villages. Their adhoc organization turned into a well-oiled machine, and they distributed aid based on the following collectively agreed upon criteria:

1. Direct contact with a Community Leader; someone who is respected in the community who can provide the exact number of households and report the exact needs of the community.2. Manageable Numbers – less than 2,000 people (roughly 400 – 500 households per drop) 3. Accessibility issues need to be manageable and defined. The identified community must arrange the logistics of supply transfer themselves and assure direct delivery of the supplies to the entire community.4. Security for supplies and personnel.

“It was almost a moral

obligation...because all our friends

and relatives were safe, we felt we

needed to help those less

fortunate.” -Anne

McGuinness

Assessing the destruction. Clearing out rubble in a village.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Expeditions to villages 20

Households helped 1,786

People served 9,310

Total kilos of rice 22,666

Total kilos of lentils 4,038

Shelters built 52

Total tarps 1,130


Nepal LinkThe organization NepalLink was founded in 1987 and supports widows and children. Before the earthquake, they operated two orphanages, two schools, two projects working with widows, and regular medical camps and support for street children in Kathmandu. After the earthquake, Nepal Link organized to provide food kitchens to displaced people in Kathmandu and Gorkha.

In the food kitchens, people shared cooking responsabilities. Men usually cooked while women helped cut and clean vegetables. The kitchen reduced worries about what they would eat that day, enabling people to focus on rebuilding their lives. In Kathmandu, the kitchen served approximately 90 meals a day, to people who were newly homeless or jobless. In Gorkha, 54 families were provided for, serving approximately 150 meals per day. Both meal programs were sustained for six weeks starting on May 25th.

“Our organization is too small to provide relief

for large areas. We have decided

to focus on villages around our projects so we can target

our manpower, as we know the

area and can support the ones

in need more effectively.”

- Michael Dürsteler

Food being cooked in one of the two field kitchens.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Number of field kitchens operating 2

Meals served per day 240

Number of weeks kitchens operated 6

Volunteers hand out books to school children.


Cultural Youth Society of NepalSince the 24th of May, volunteers from the Cultural Youth Society of Nepal have been helping build shelters around Nepal. In May, six volunteers spent a week in Sindhupalchowk district, Mulkharka, Thale V.D.C. and built 20 houses in cooperation with local villagers. They returned to the same area with medical and food supplies, providing assistance to 60 families in the Haiyu and Majhi villages The group then expanded their work to Dolokha where they provided food to 250 households that were experiencing food scarcity.

Villagers look on at the sacks of rice being distributed.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Shelters built 110

Households helped 360

Rice 310 sacks

Lentils 60 sacks

Mixed dried beans 40 sacks

Bundles of metal sheets 80

Children browse through newly installed e-library system.


Seeds of ChangeThe Seeds of Change Foundation (SOCF) is a registered nonprofit organization committed to creating tangible change in today’s global society by focusing on environment, education, organic food production, water, fuel, waste management, and quality shelter. In partnership with Nepali partners, they focused on sanitation during the months after the quake. After the monsoon, the organization helped install e-libary computer centers in different schools that had been affected by the earthquake to provide them with hope for the future.

Left: Receiving base for composting toilet

in rural village.

Right: One of three technology centers estab-lished in schools.


BY THE NUMBERS #

Total dollars received $8,800

Number of composting toilets installed 129

People served by toilets 1,290

Number of computers with e-library systems installed in schools 11

Number of students served by computers 1,000

Total districts receiving sanitation or technology services 5

Left: Father shows his children how the solar light works without electricity.

Right: Family sets up tent using the help of a solar light set.

Far right: Family stands in front o f their newly pitched

home.


Solar Lights $12,500Shelter and light. Two of the most fundamental needs in our lives, that go unrecognized until they are missing. As reports from the field reached us, it became clear that one of the simplest things we could do was provide for these two basic needs. As the monsoon set in after May, shelter provided respite from the elements, allowing people peace of mind to contemplate their next steps. Light provided a psychological respite, allowing families to cook late into the night after working all day. We invested up front in both tents and solar lights to cover the people of Nepal’s basic needs, while they did the hard work of rebuilding their lives.


$23,640 Tents

BY THE NUMBERS #

Solar light sets 652

People benefitting from lights 1,597

Tents purchased 104

Durability of tents during heavy monsoon 6 months

People benefitting from tents 685

“We took the path less traveled and found a couple living at the top of a remote steep hill. Being elderly, they were not able to walk down

to the road. Their food supply was exhausted. All their food was buried in the rubble. When they received a bag

of rice, they cried and blessed our team members, saying “the gods must have sent you.” Kesab replied “There are many gods - we are just helpers. We

will be back again.”


Manjushri Helpers ProjectManjushri Helpers Projects formed in the immediate aftermath of the quake doing damage assessments and distributing emergency supplies to impacted communities in the surrounding areas of the Kathmandu Valley. In the six months since the quake they have remained active moving from emergency food to tin roofing for rebuilding and initiating a new micro credit program to assist with small business ventures and income generators.

Roofing and food materials being delivered.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Bundles of tin roofing distributed (6 pieces/bundle) 278

Number of school roofs built 3

Number of CGI handicap shelters built 16

Number of tarpaulins and tents distributed 77

Number of students helped with school roofing 1,500

People receiving immediate food relief 1,350

Housholds helped by shelter materials 651

All above: The entire village turns out to unload roof material from the truck.


Hile of Bageshwari$3,000Community Forest User Groups are important community resource organizations that have traditionally enjoyed high levels of community participation. The Hile Bageshwari Forest User Group identified 45 households, 13 belonging to Dalit and Janajati families, in their community whose houses were partially or totally destroyed. We Help nNepal supported the group with materials to build the houses.

Remains of a village house. Materials crossing makeshift road.

Inside newly built shelter. Inside temporary straw structure.


Hile of Bageshwari$3,000

Dolka District Shelter $3,000

Thirty families in Bedpu VDC 8 in Dolaka received corrugated iron and building materials and assistance to make transitional shelters. As with many projects, transport to the area was not possible due to landslides and people from the village had to walk a whole day down to meet the truck. This was the first aid to the area according to people in the community.

Dr. Hoover leading a training course.


Larry Hoover Medical FundDr. Larry Hoover, an Otolaryngologist and former Peace Corps doctor in Nepal during the late 1970s, returned to Kathmandu after the earthquake with much needed medical supplies. He is performed surgeries and conducted in house trainings at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. In addition to donating hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical equip-ment to the hospital, he also constructed a children’s play area at the hospital and plans to continue supporting the hospital through surgery work.

Dr. Hoover in the operating room.


BY THE NUMBERS #

Number of weeks spent operating in Nepal 3

Value of donated medical equipment $300,000

Kids area built in waiting room 1

Number of residents taught 20

Above: Clean Up Nepal members organize a community build to erect transitional structures


Clean Up NepalClean Up Nepal initially focused on providing transitional shelters in Machhegaun, a heavily affected peri-urban settlement just outside of Kathmandu. On their second round of funding from We Help Nepal, Clean Up Nepal organized a day of action that put thousands of volunteers to work to clean up urban spaces around 90 temporary camps located in the Kathmandu Valley.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Pairs of surgical gloves 85,200

Masks bought for Clean Up participants 28,400

Urban spaces that were cleaned up during day of action 90

People that participated in clean up activity 38,790

Kilos of waste collected 283,979

Transitional shelters built 50


Himalayan Medics $500In the aftermath of the quake, Himalayan Medics responded with emergency supply distribution and essential emergency first aid trainings in Kathmandu and affected districts. Specifically, the grant supported a first aid + safety training at a local orphanage of about 36 kids in the middle of Kathmandu. One team member gave a talk on earthquake safety with one group, whilst the other gave a hands on demo on first aid. Then they switched as different groups went through the same workshops. One of the team at Himalayan Medics (the first high altitude doc) was at Everest base camp when the avalanche hit after the first big quake.

“What did I learn today? That kids, no matter the fear, are resilient. If adults take a little time out joking

and laughing with them whist talking about the serious issues

of today, they will learn fast and never forget. These small efforst are so needed at a time like this.”

Barpak Radio$2,000

Radio Barpak was started to get community voices back on the air in one of the most severely impacted areas of the April 25th earthquake. The project has been spear headed by Madhu Acharya, a long time community radio producer, trainer and journalist in Nepal who had previously worked on radio projects in Barpak. WHN has facilitated the purchase of transmitter equipment for Radio Barpak.

An official license for the opening of Barpak Radio.


Patients receive dental care, including extractions, at one of the health camps organized by HDSN.


Health and Development Society of NepalHDSN has actively been participating in networking and joint activities with stakeholders working in oral health. The priorities are given in preventive, promotive and basic oral health care and support, especially among the mother & children, youths, senior citizens, disadvantaged communities, teachers, and government officials. After the earthquake, HDSN organized health camps, develope a prototype transitional health shelter model, and provided medical supplies to different communities.

Their model for Health District shelters was awarded first prize at the Hack the Quake contest, because of its low cost overhead, and its ability to be sourced and built in Nepal. The transitional shelters are both durable and lightweight and have been used as Health Posts, birthing centers, and school classrooms.

One of the Health Posts designed and constructed by HDSN using unique flex material.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Districts that received medical supplies 10

Bars of soap, gloves, and hand sanitizer distributed 2,248

Oral Reydration Salts distributed 2,160

Health posts constructed and installed 4

Households benefitting from health shelters 2,782

Number of psychosocial dental camps hosted 12

Patients served by health camps 1,480

Villagers receiving tin roofing materials.


Project 108This relief effort focused on immediate shelter and was run by Pawel Skawinski, a Polish journalist, and Jenny Adhikari, a long-term resident of Nepal who runs a trekking business. Immediately following the second May 12 quake, they visited three VDCs in Okhaldhunga and distributed tarps in partnership with the Prapcha Creative Youth Club. They then focused on Sarsyu, Rasuwa, where many of the company’s trekking porter are from. Braving dangerous road conditions and focusing on providing for entire villages, the group was able to be highly effective and responsive in a timely manner.

Left: The monsoon rains make delivery of supplies diificult.

Right: Road conditions are washed out completely on way to distribute materials.


BY THE NUMBERS #

Dollars received 192

Tarps to Harkapur VDC 288

Tarps to Serna VDC 20

Tarps to Sarsyu 57

Tarps to Prapcha VDC 192

Total people served 2,785

Newly constructed house with roofing.


Rural Community Development CenterThe Rural Community Development Center has been working with marginalized communities in Dolokha for the past decade. The organization decided to provide roofting for 75 marginalized community members. With the simple distribution of shelter to the area, people were able to get the rest and respite necessary to think about rebuilding their lives. Because the material delivered was tin, any permanent structures they built will be able to use the same materials. The Center also provided 1,000 liter water tanks for the community.

Right: Tin sheeting being delivered.

Left: Water tanks being delivered.


BY THE NUMBERS #


Bundles of tin sheeting distributed 75

Households receiving roofing materials 75

People benefitting from roofting 600

1,000 liter water tanks delivered 6

We Help Nepal is a project of Global Purpose Group 501(c)3

Documents

WE HELP NEPAL - SIX MONTH REPORT 2 0 1 5 APRIL TO OCTOBER · Appropriate Technology Asia (ATA) focuses on appropriate technology in Nepal. After the earthquake their team took to