Most of you have probably heard the awful news from Nepal today, where a massive 7.9 earthquake struck just before noon. Unfortunately the district were we have been working or 5 years was just 12kms from the epicentre. All the surrounding villages are almost completely destroyed.
90% of buildings have collapsed. Including our house. Thousands are homeless. All the old schools in the district are heaps of rubble. The new ones we and others have built have stayed standing, as they’re supposed to. But all are damaged. Bridges have fallen, roads cut, and the airport is still shut with a damaged runway.
The good news is the time of day (11 56am) saved thousands of lives in the villages as most people were outside. Incredibly, despite the complete devastation, no one in Dhawa was killed. Which is beyond amazing. Though many are injured.
The cities weren’t so lucky – but were at least a bit further away. Cell and internet towers and grid lines are all damaged so it’s been tough to get any news – and we’re all worried about Gorkha and the high villages close to us, which were even closer to the epicentre. Friends are heading there on foot, to try to help.
We’ve assembled about 15 people from inside and outside Nepal to help begin reconstruction, but need 4 times that. And all the villages around us will need the same. Many are 12 hours walk from a road. We also need blankets, tarpaulins, food and medicine.
Thanks to all of you who’ve offered to help or sent your thoughts. If you can build, diagnose, organise, fundraise, or lug, and you have some time, please get in touch. If you’d like to donate, you can do so via our home page. Giri, our Director, and the team, like tens of thousands of others, are now homeless, and will be spending the night outside. Our thoughts are with him and all those affected, and we’re en route to help as many as we can to rebuild.