Rise Nepal, Background to a Worthy Cause
You may have read about the Church’s intended participation in the September newsletter with Rise Nepal in making a difference to a Nepalese family. Here is some additional information
Links:
1. Key Facts about the Earthquake of April 25
- 6,204 people are known to have died in Nepal alone from this 7.9 magnitude quake.
- Nepal had not faced a natural shock of comparable magnitude for over 80 years. The catastrophic earthquake was followed by more than 300 aftershocks greater than magnitude 4.0 (as of 7 June 2015).
- More than 14,000 have been injured across the country
- 2.8 million Nepalese were displaced, according to the world body.
- More than 3.5 million people are estimated to be in need of food assistance, the UN said.
- The destruction was widespread covering residential and government buildings, heritage sites, schools and health posts, rural roads, bridges, water supply systems, agricultural land, trekking routes, hydropower plants and sports facilities.
- Half a million homes destroyed
2. Article in Free Lance-Star, Aug. 5 "Local assistance is making a difference in Nepal" .
Vestry voted to give one of the dome shelters mentioned in the article and shown above. You can donate here separately.
3. Rise Nepal. Rise Nepal, a group of youth volunteers assisting their countrymen in the aftermath of the April 25 earthquake, hopes to raise enough money to provide 1,000 temporary shelters for those left homeless.
They are supported by the Global Peace Foundation and other members of the Asia Pacific Peace and Development Service Alliance. To date over 800 local and international volunteers have been engaged to meet the immediate and long-term needs of earthquke victims.
4. Update September, 5 months later. The Sindupalchowk district is home to about 350,000 people housed in approximately 66,000 homes. The earthquake damaged or completely destroyed 90% of the homes. More than 3,000 people lost their lives in this district alone.Almost 4 months after the Nepal earthquake there are still aftershocks sending fear into the survivors and creating landslides that present new problems. Roads can often be blocked for days making it difficult for villagers to get the supplies they need back to their families.
With the monsoon season on, shelters like the one we bought are crucial. The bottom line – "The Sindupalchowk district is facing the monumental task of cleaning and rebuilding mostly on their own until more aid can reach them."
5. We will be working with Shrijana Sitikhu, earthquake survivor and Rise Nepal volunteer whom Catherine met in Fredericksburg to find a family to adopt. Here is an interview with her. She has just returned to Nepal so hopefully we can get the relationship going with a family