DEVASTATING EARHQUAKE HITS NEPAL- APRIL 2015

ICA lending hand to the Earthquake Victims Across Nepal

Earthquake Relief and Recovery Report

Submitted by:

ICA Nepal

Kriti Marg, Koteshwor

Phone: 01-460 2005

www.ica-nepal.org

The earthquake that hit Nepal on 25th of April across Nepal leaving its effect to India, China and Bhutan have

left many people homeless. The magnitude of 7.9 rector scale was harsh which caused havoc in the capital and

the surrounding districts. ICA, having the main focus on providing relief and recovery support in the month of

May has been reaching out to different communities affected by earthquake. With all the activities that was

carried out on the first week excelled, ICA moved on to the second week on providing aid and relief materials.

ICA has been working immensely to reach out the victims in different districts.

With the various programs being carried out every day, we reached our hands to the victims from two districts

named Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchowk on 6th of May. ICA Nepal initiated to visit the areas affected with the

relief materials.

ICA Learning Centre, Changu Narayan

Changunarayan is on a hilltop that is also known as Changu or Dolagiri. Changunarayan is a village

development committee located in Bhaktapur District. Changunarayan village development committee is

situated 8 miles east of Kathmandu and few miles north of Bhaktapur. In this village many people have been

homeless and were in need of relief materials. On reaching

Changunarayan, we allocated the relief materials in our training

centre located in the same area. The ICA Learning Centre in

Changunarayan which is also a working place for many women

from Progressive Women’s group and Chinnamasta Saving and

Credit Co-operative has been in cracks. We could spot various

cracks in the house, which directly affects the women who earn

their living inside this house with their sewing, knitting,

tailoring, candy making skills. This will directly hamper their

income as their activities are put on halt due to the circumstance

of housing.

The food materials which were provided to the 50 families (second phase) would suffice them for a week.

Without any delay the materials were distributed to the victims. One member of the family were asked to collect

the relief materials. Our package included

Figure 2 ICA staff member counting packages that needs to be distributed

Items Quantity

Bucket 1pc

Mug 1pc

Plate 1pc

Rice 12 kgs

Beaten Rice 1 kg

Lentils 2 kgs

Soyabean ½ kg

Oil ½ liter

Salt 1 kg

Masala 1 pack

Chilly Powder 1 pack

Figure 1 ICA Training Centre with cracks

After allocation of the relief materials we could see faces of relief, which gave everyone satisfaction. With the

given aid, they still are in need of tents and trampoline. People have issues sitting under one roof with different

community members as the mindset of people regarding caste system has not been negotiated yet.

Story of Seth Bir Shrestha

Seth Bir Shrestha from Changunarayan Village Development Committee who has

lost his home due to the earthquake. Seth Bir Shrestha who is 65 years old says

almost 20-25 people are sharing a small plastic roof which they now call their

home. He says he has lost everything and is waiting to get some aid by

government so that he can rebuilt his house again. Meanwhile, Shrestha has been

struggling as he has no mattress and blankets, he says it’s not only him who are

struggling with the basic requirements but everyone in the tent is. He not only

defined his scarcity but he says that the main problem in the whole village who

has lost their home is shelter or a place where they can call home.

Kavrepalanhchowk

Kavrepalanchowk is one of the district of Nepal which has been affected badly during the earthquake. ICA

Team and members of Rotary went to Ugrachandi Nala

village development committee in this district. Women

Entrepreneur Consumer Co-operative Society,

Kavrepalanchowk has assessed the victims to which ICA

would reach out to. While talking to residents there were

1300 houses in this village out of which 1100 houses were

destroyed and the remaining houses which is around 200

cannot be entered as it has massive cracks. Everyone in the

village are living under a plastic tunnel which was made by

the local people. No one is safe in this village as none of the

houses exists and as they are living under tents which

would be blown by the monsoon that’s prevailing soon.

Every single person has twinkle in their eyes with hope, hope

for the crisis to get over, hope to get back to their normal life.

In Ugrachandi Village Development Community we provided

aid to 69 families. The crisis in this village was tents and

trampoline. As Kavre is rich source of potato the local said they

could survive by eating potatoes but the main problem is the

housing as everyone is tensed due to the monsoon season that is

coming soon.

ICA Nepal provided food sets including, Rice, Lentils, Beaten

Figure 3 Seth Bir Shrestha recieving aid

Figure 5 Residents queuing to receive aid

Figure 4 Volunteers giving aid to the residents

Rice, Masala, Salt, Oil, Chilly, Soyabean to the family that has lost everything and were in ruins. With the

remaining family members we provided them with all the exact same aid except the bucket, mugs and plates.

The crisis in this area was very high.

Story of Sano Babu Pariyar

While talking to one of the victims named Sano Babu Pariyar, who learnt his wife

was under the rumbles of the disaster had teary eyes. He was on the fields,

working during the time of earthquake and his wife and children were at home as

it was Saturday. When the earthquake hit he was mostly worried about his wife

and kids than his own life. After the earthquake was over he rushed towards his

home and was stunned as he could just find his kids and not wife. He started

yelling out her name, but it was in vain. After a day while clearing the rubbles

the found the body of his wife, he stated. He said I’m heartbroken but I cannot

leave my children to starve and to die hence, I will have to live for them.

ICA as a Helping Hand to Physically Impaired People

Disabled Service Centre was established in 2070 B.S at

Goldhunga by Mr. Chandra Bahadur K.C who himself is

disabled by birth. This organization consists of 17 disabled

people who live together in a rented place. The condition of this

organization is very despotic since its inception due to lack of

funds. They are bound to live nearby poultry farming area as no

one wants them to give them shelter.

ICA reached out to this organization as their situation was

aggravated the walls are very unstable as a single touch on wall

can swing the wall. Due to the continuous aftershocks these

people with different abilities are under major trauma.

Though there are somehow staying during daylight at their

rented house which is very risky to stay as along with them 4

kids are also present there. Due to lack of proper shelter, they

are bound to sleep on tomato farms which are about 6 mins

walk for a normal person. This place won’t be available for

coming days as its agricultural land.

Figure 6 Sano Babu Pariyar with a thoughtful face

Figure 7 Members of Disabled Service Centre

Figure 8 Chandra Bahadur KC recieving aid from ICA staff member

These people have to struggle every day to have their meals as they

rely on begging. It’s so heart wrecking to see that even have to beg

others to buy diapers for their kids So, the condition of these people

would be more awful if proper assistance isn’t provided to them.

They want to be engaged in some income generating activities

through vocational training. Right now their basic need is shelter

and food. Hence, ICA went with a helping hands and provided them

with food which would suffice them for a week with Rica, Beaten

Rice, Pulses. Salt, Nutrella, Noodles. The food would be enough

for minimum one month.

Nepal Integrated Blind Development Association (NIBDA) is a non-

governmental organization of blind which was established by Mr. Binod Sharma

who himself is blind. It was established to improve the living standards of visually

impaired people by providing opportunities and participation in different

integrated programmes.

NIBDA established a hostel for blind children in 2070 B.S. who are brought from

different remote parts of Nepal like Mugu, Humla, Raswua, Kavrepalanchowk,

Makawanpur and Nuwakot.Till date there are 10 children who are of different age

group and are students of primary level.

This hostel is located at Goldhunga which lies in Tarkeshwor

municipality of Kathmandu distict. Only once in 3 days, pubic

vehicle runs in this place. So, this place is hardly accessible by

commoners. Due to the devastating earthquake that shaked the

whole nation, the condition of people with disabilities like these

visually impaired children has been very awful. They have been

lacking food due to lack of access to market.

ICA provided the hostel with food equivalent to, Rice (30 kg),

Beaten rice (5 kgs) Pulses (4kg), Nutrella (1 kg), Salt (1kg),

Noodles (150 pkts)

Figure 9 Residents of Disabled Service Centre are living here after earthquake

Figure 10 Staff and Volunteer talking to Sunita Pandey- Hostel Warden

Figure 11 Aid provided by ICA to NIBDA

Global Community in shaping villages of Nepal

ICA Nepal always whole heartedly welcome volunteers, we have volunteers initiating to join ICA from three

different countries- USA and our very own neighboring country India. We have altogether six volunteers.

Randy and Sierra, from USA went to

Changunarayan for assessment and to distribute

the relief materials. Volunteers from India also

went to the same area to study the situation. All

the volunteers are involved with ICA with the

recovery and rehabilitation of the earthquake

victim. Their innovative ideas are proposed to

develop proposals based to construct Earthships

in Nepal for the victims of Earthquake. In a

nutshell, ICA is moving ahead to rehabilitate the

earthquake victims, and its our pleasure to have

our volunteers here with us and we are thankful

for their initiation for their thoughtful ideas and

help.

Help the Earthquake Victim through ICA

ICA- USA and ICA- Nepal has been fundraising to help earthquake victims across Nepal. You can help the

victims affected by earthquake through ICA network. The information of ICA are as follows:

4750 N. Sheridan

ICA-USA

Chicago, IL 60640

You may send your support directly by clicking to www.ica/usa.org/donation

Or

Account Name: ICA Nepal

Account Number: 010063

Swift Code: SCBLNPKA

Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank

Address: New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal

ICA Nepal Fundraising for Blankets

ICA Nepal has been fundraising for blankets, which costs Rs 400 which equivalents to $4. This blanket covers a

family of four, residents of Gorkha district had a direct request to ICA Nepal for the provision of blankets,

hence we all are getting together in order to collect blankets for them. You can be a part of this cause by helping

us through your donation. You can reach out to us with the information that has been presented above.

Figure 12 Volunteer and ICA members with children from Nepal Integrated Blind Development Association

“After every storm comes sunshine”

A hopeful smile.

Submitted by: ICA Nepal Team