Projects
 Earthquake relief for Suri-Khare, Simigaon and Virsing Gorkha
The disastrous earthquake of 25 April 2015 also severely hit the villages of our Nepalese friends. While luckily there have been no casualties among our friends and their families, houses and schools in Suri (Khare-4 VDC), Simigaon and Virsing Gorkha have been heavily damaged or even completely destroyed. As was the school. We thus pursued a fund-raising effort to help them rebuild their homes and, primarily, the school.
For the first immediate relief missions, we collaborated and shared costs with the Health Foundation Nepal (HFN), who knows the local circumstances and logistics very well.
On the longer term, once the problems of housing, clean drinking water, etc. were resolved, we worked towards rebuilding the Suri-Lungata school, which was completely destroyed in the earthquake (see pictures below).
Great thanks go to the Lions Clubs in and around Steyr/Austria, in particular the Lions Steyr-St. Ulrich, who stepped in with generous support.
Khare situation update (from Binita Adhikari, HFN)
All the houses of Khare VDC have suffered damage. Most of the places inhabited earlier are not livable anymore due to deep cracks formed after earthquake. People have migrated internally inside the VDC to new places where they deem it as safe. People are currently residing on clusters of 5-10 at safe locations away from their original homes. People have built cottage using salvaged wood, CGI sheets, bamboo, and tarps. People do not have access to clean drinking water and toilets. Old structures of drinking water have been damaged due to landslides. The area's only road access is full of active landslides and has the potential to be blocked anytime. Likewise, the nearest market of Khare at Singati has been completely destroyed due to earthquake with impending vulnerability for more damage. People have to travel another 30-40 kilometers from Singati to purchase basic necessities. Public structures of Khare such as school and health post has also suffered considerable damage. People have to reach Charikot, 35 kilometers away from Singati to have proper access of healthcare. Khare VDC suffered total of 3 casualties due to earthquake.
Khare support:
On May 30, HFN members and volunteers distributed CGI sheets to affected households of Khare VDC, Ward number 4. Total of 60 households of Khare-4 received 10 CGI sheets each. The relief team was lead by Ms. Binita Adhikari, relief coordinator for HFN, and Dr. Sumesh Khanal and Dr. Sanjeev Jung Karki - HFN volunteers. The mission was conducted at Bhorle of Suri VDC, which was the nearest place with road access from Khare-4. Locals of Khare-4 travelled up to 3 hours on foot to reach Bhorle.
Simigaun situation update (from Binita Adhikari, HFN)
Detailed situation of Simigaun is not available since HFN team was unable to access the village ourselves. According to Mr. Guna, locals of Simigaun are going to be cut-off from road access throughout the monsoon season. Other situation regarding collapsed houses, public structures, and landslides are similar to that of Khare-4. There are no casualties reported at Simigaun.
Simigaon support: On May 31st earthquake victims of Simigaun received 2 tons of food materials. Food relief included 1200 kgs of rice, 250 kgs of sugar, 250 kg of salt, and 250 liters of cooking oil. Nepalease Army helicopter dropped these materials at Simigaun. Mr. Guna Tamang led the distribution of these materials to some 125 households in the presence of local leaders.
Update August 2015 / Khare:
Thanks to generous support from the Austrian Lions Club sections Steyr-St Ulrich, Sierning Steyrtal and Steyr Innerberg, we can proceed to provide clean drinking water and toilets for the Khare village communities. Below are some pictures from the transport of 4500 m of water pipes end of July. Because the road near Charikot is blocked by a landslide it had to be done partly on foot. It was quite an operation!
What's more, the donation of the Lions Clubs, together with private funds, will already cover about 40% of the costs for reconstructing the school.
Update April 2016:
Construction work for the school is making progress.
A great many thanks to the Lions Clubs in and around Steyr!
2004 - 2014
A new school for Suri
2003-2004: Suri is a village in the Gauri Shankar region, Rolwaling Himal.
There is a small primary school with three classes which is little more
than a hut and far to small to accomodate all the children of the village.
Moreover, the roof is leaking which makes teaching
during the monsun season fairly impossible.
We want to enable the village people to erect a new solid building with
five classes for about 100 kids. In addition, we want to employ two good teachers and
provide books and other material needed for proper teaching.
On the occasion of the Himlung Expedition in October 2004, Peter and Sabine
handed over 5000 Euro. Construction works began mid November and made good
progress ever since. Early Jan 2005 the walls are erected, and soon the roof
will be set on, too :-)
In February 2005 we send another 2300 Euro to finish the construction works.
Some pictures documenting the progress:
Spring 2005: the new school house is finished. It cost 7300 Euros, that is 700 Euros
less than estimated. About 70 kids, both boys and girls, come to attend school.
They are educated by a male and a female teacher who are each payed 4000 Rupees
(about 50 Euros) per month. Now we need to supply the salaries for the teachers
as well as books, pens, toothbrushes, etc, for the kids.
2006: Peter and Sabine visit Suri. For pictures, see this album.
Update 2009/10: The school building has been made nicer (walls painted etc), the schoolyard flattened, toilets installed, and a new bridge was constructed.
Update 2012: The village community of Suri Lungata agreed with a neighbouring village to join their schools, creating a common complex with 8 classes.
Update 2014: After a trek around Manaslu with two friends, Sabine visits the school in Suri to sees that all is going fine. She hands over 300 notebooks for the students as well as a monetary donation, which should be used, among other investments, to improve the roof of the Lungata building that was damaged in a recent storm. It is vacation time for the students, so only the school committee is present, but the welcome is very heartily and everybody is full of thanks for the continued support.
Heartly thanks to all who helped and/or are still helping to make this happen!
Helping Streetchildren
Streetchildren: children who live on the street, who are orphans
or cannot be fed by their families, who have been thrown out
or who must beg for sustenance for their families.
About 5000 streetchildren live in and around Kathmandu. They are
undernourished, marked by misery and traumatised by their terrible
experiences. And yet already 25 Euro per month (that's not even one
Euro per day!) pay for food and education of one child....
We support the
"Home of New Hopes"
(Nawa Asha Ghira or briefly NAG) run by swiss Nicole Thakuri-Wick.
NAG means a save home, food and education for about 150 boys and girls,
as well as a day school and a dayly meal for another 100 street kids.
Apart from monetary donations, kids clothes and shoes as well as books
are highly welcome.
Peter and Sabine have visited NAG in October 2004 and have been truely
impressed by Nicoles achievements and how well the place is run.
Below some pictures:
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