Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal 2015 (NERA)

Activities Update

A huge amount of gratitude to everyone, individuals and organisations, who

contributed to NERA. Alison Marston and Camille Summers-Valli have been

volunteering their time and have been doing all they can to ensure that it is spent in

the best way possible. They are already seeing positive and long-term results.

Without each and every one of your contributions, much of the following work

outlined in this update would not have been possible. For that, we and Nepal are

grateful. On behalf of the organisations we are supporting, thank you.

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1. FIRST STEPS:

Assessment of the situation on the ground, including the priority of needs, which

formed the basis of the Strategic Overview and was gathered and informed

through communications with a wide variety of actors in the context. These

included government sources, the army, international relief organisations and

development agencies, local grassroots organisations/NGO’s, formal group

organisations (ie. Rotary) and informal active (particularly in the relief efforts)

groups (ie. Fill the Bucket, The Yellow House), the media/journalists and well

informed individuals, local community leaders and victims and beneficiaries of aid.

The table and map below gives a general overview of the impact of the first 7.8 on

the 25th of April and second 7.3 magnitude earthquake on the 12th of May.

Meetings were held with a number of grassroots organisations/NGO’s and groups

to understand their work in both the immediate relief phase and their plans for the

mid to long-term recovery phases. A number of key organisations were identified

for partnership and support, either for relief aid and/or mid-term recovery support.

Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal (NERA). NERA is looking to support these

organisations with financial grants from the money raised so far (just over

£250,000 raised so far). NERA also looks to profile the work these organisations

are doing through visual media, which can be used by the organisations on their

websites and more widely on social media platforms and the Bulldog Trust NERA

page.

Analytics of the Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal (NERA) Facebook page show

it has over 1,100 likes with a total reach of posts at over 12,000 and 150 shares of

posts.

Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal Facebook

2. RELIEF:

NERA made its first grants for relief aid with its primary partner Burn Violence

Survivors-Nepal (BVS–Nepal), which is a not for profit non-governmental

organisation established in 2008 to support survivors of burns, resulting from

accidents, or violence, such as attempted homicide attacks, normally using

kerosene or acid and cases of self-immolation and attempted suicide, often

stemming from domestic violence. BVS-Nepal is an organisation Alison Marston

helped set up with Wendy Marston and Pramada Shah, which was officially

launched by Her Princess Royal in 2010 at the Nepalese Embassy in London.

Wendy Marston was recognised by the Dalai Lama as an ‘Unsung Hero of

Compassion’ in 2014.

BVS Nepal Website

The first distribution of relief aid was made to the villages of Mulabari and

Karinduga in Dhading district, for 200 households. Each household was given a

bucket filled with food items (rice, chiura, wai wai noodles, salt, sugar, lentils,

biscuits and baby food for families with children) and additionally households were

given sanitation, hygiene and health items (soap, sanitary pads, and oral

rehydration salts). Each family was given a large tarpaulin sheet to use for

temporary shelter, blankets and mosquito nets. The BVS-Nepal team providing

relief items were also supported by a team (Paramedic Phil and Dean from the UK)

providing basic medical treatment and a veterinary team with our partner

organisation Animal Nepal in partnership with World Vets. The transportation and

logistics was a collaboration with partner organisation Fill the Bucket. The aim of

the relief distribution to an area not yet reached by other relief operations was to

provide critical food and shelter essentials, with a holistic approach, including vital

basic medical treatment and veterinary services, which are both so key at a time

like this when many households have injured sick livestock.

Please watch this short film, which documents this first relief distribution.

The BVS-Nepal team were back out in Dhading district for their second relief

distribution with relief packs for 350 families, over 1500 people the following

week. Over 4.7 tons of food (rice, beaten rice, salt, oil, sugar, chana (chickpeas),

biscuits, raazma, wai wai (instant noodles) and baby food) was delivered including

mother and baby medical kits, sanitation products (soaps, sanitary pads), 355

tarpaulins, blankets, mosquito nets to all the residents of Pokharigaun, Aamdada

and Karidhunga villages in Kalleri VDC, Dhading district. This relief distribution also

included a health camp and veterinary clinic in partnership with Animal Nepal.

Once again the distribution was co-ordinated in collaboration with the Fill the

Bucket.

The third distribution was to Dukthali, a Kami (Dalit) village, some 800ft down a

steep track off a rough road leading north from Charikot in Dolakha District, 130

kms (6 hour drive) east of Kathmandu. This relief distribution of two truck loads and

2 jeeps was for 150 families/households and like the other distributions all the

arrangements prior to the trip had been organised to include lists of all those in the

greatest need and families were given numbered coupons and ticked off lists to

make sure there wasn’t duplication. Families like before received a bucket, 25kgs

rice, lentils, dry instant noodles, biscuits, soya beans and a large tarpaulin, blanket,

mosquito net, solar light set (through which mobile phones can also be charged),

an iron cooking pot, metal plates, salt and water purifying tablets. Robin Marston,

who drove one of the accompanying jeeps was able to apply his ex-army/Gurkha

and trekking logistical knowledge to the distribution.

Whilst this distribution was in process so was another, in the northwest of the

Kathmandu valley by BVS-Nepal and accompanied by Wendy Marston, which was

specifically for 120 single mother family groups. Also, this week 4 large water-

purifying units were delivered to Yellow Gompa, behind Swayambhunath where a

large of number of survivors (400-500 people) of the Langtang valley tragedy have

currently been seeking refuge.

The relief distributions will continue if and when necessary based on needs

assessments done by BVS-Nepal, but the focus is largely now being directed at

the next stage of mid-term recovery, as this is where it is understood the greatest

need and challenges currently lie, which also falls in line with the Strategic

Overview for NERA.

3. RECOVERY:

The focus for donated funds still remains the recovery phase, particularly the mid-

term during the impending monsoon and soon after this stage when the challenges

are likely to be greater than now and yet the press has moved on and funders have

grown weary of donating. A number of initial key grassroots partners have been

identified as implementing partners. These organisations have applied for grants

based on areas where they have already been working in and therefore were able

to quickly work with the local communities to make assessments of the most

urgent needs and effectively find solutions to help local communities with

rebuilding.

After meeting with the organisations NERA helped them put a straight forward

grant application together, based on the needs they have identified as priorities

and to help build their capacity to have the greatest impact. The aim of NERA is to

support these impressive grassroots initiatives and NGO's and to profile their work

to a greater audience through social media, but also to help create a platform for

them to work together in the future and share knowledge. The initial implementing

partners are listed below, with a brief description of the support NERA is providing,

based on the needs they identified.

3.1 ANANDABAN LEPROSY HOSPITAL:

The Leprosy Mission International (TLMI) founded Anandaban Leprosy Hospital in

1957, now the main leprosy referral hospital for the Central Region of Nepal (8.3

million population, 2003). The hospital is located 16kms south of Patan City, in the

Lalitpur District and employs 118 members of staff to provide both inpatient and

outpatient services through its 115 bed facility. Leprosy services include:

comprehensive leprosy care, including Multi Drug Therapy (MDT), disability

prevention and correction and small-scale rehabilitation projects and training

including financial help to attend school and loans to start a business and house

repairs.

Anandaban Hospital with its’ history of treating patients suffering from injuries

requiring specialist orthopedic surgery and specialist rehabilitation and was one of

the first hospitals who was out in the villages doing health camps straight after the

earthquake. It was also the first and only private hospital at the time offering all of

its services to patients without charge, which is particularly important for the poor

who are unable to cope with the financial burdens of expensive medical treatment.

NERA has supported the hospital with a grant towards health camps it has been

conducting to provide medical relief in various badly affected areas (Lalitpur,

Kavre, Makwanpur, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha and Dhading), many inaccessible by

road, since the first week after the earthquake. The team has been in various badly

affected areas to provide medical relief to people impacted. Destruction and

damage to infrastructure has meant that medical teams have had to treat

casualties under makeshift tents, outside in the open and/or on the back of the

hospital vehicle. Approximately, 1500 trauma and injury cases were treated in the

health camps organized by TLMN in coordination with the government health

offices, which is an average of 100 per health camp, of which there were 15 thus

far. Casualties treated at the medical camps requiring long term treatment and

rehabilitation will be and have been brought to the hospital for ongoing treatment

and longer-term psychosocial, post-trauma counselling.

This short film highlights this important work.

3.2 BURNS VIOLENCE SURVIVORS- NEPAL:

After a thorough assessment, BVS-Nepal in co-ordination with the organisation

Volunteer For Change (VFC) has started its first temporary transitional shelter

project in Burunchile, Champi Municipality in Lalitpur District. It will build 55

temporary shelter homes, as seen in the photo’s including toilets and a solar panel

for two villages populated by the Tamang caste (30 in Mane village and 25 in

Kaphalbot). During the first site assessment visit it was documented that these

villages have no electricity or water supply and although since Oxfam Nepal has

been working in the village to reinstall the water supply, the villagers are still in dire

need of sturdy shelter to protect them against the monsoon. Out of total 64

households in Mane, 34 households were able to salvage corrugated iron sheets

and wooden timber beams from their destroyed houses to construct shelters, but a

remaining 30 households have not been so fortunate and are still living under

unstable tarpaulin makeshift shelters. A second planning visit, identified the same

problem for 25 households in the neighbouring Kaphalbot village. These

transitional shelters, will shelter the populations for the monsoon, after which the

corrugated iron sheets (CGI) can be reused in the rebuild of more permanent

structures/houses.

3.3 CLEAN UP NEPAL:

Clean up Nepal is a local NGO based in Kathmandu, Nepal that has been working

with local communities and relevant stakeholders since 2013 to improve solid

waste management in Nepal and has significant experience in coordinating

grassroots operations in partnership with local actors. In its short time of operation,

Clean up Nepal has conducted several successful online and on-the-ground “clean

up” campaigns in various townships across Nepal including the Kathmandu valley,

Birgunj, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Dhanghadi, and Chitwan. The first nationwide clean

up event was facilitated by Clean up Nepal on 21st September 2013 and mobilized

15,430 volunteers who took part in 45 locations in 20 townships across the country

to collect 84,564.5 kilos of waste on the day.

Since the first earthquake it has leveraged its experience in working with these

local partners and stakeholders to coordinate the relief response to rural area,

including Gorkha, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk and also within the

Kathmandu valley. Its’ track record of being able to engage and mobilise the youth

in volunteering is one of the reasons it was identified as an organisation to support.

Being such a new organisation its’ greatest need to continue making such an

impressive impact was support with its core costs to co-ordinate and manage its

volunteers (approximately 200-300 regularly engaged) to ensure a sustainable

future. NERA has made a one year grant to build its core capacity to support Clean

up Nepal’s both its relief work and longer-term recovery phase work aimed at

impacting at total of 50,000 beneficiaries.

This short film highlights some of Clean up Nepal’s work and how it works

with local communities.

Clean up Nepal Website

3.4 DOLMA FOUNDATION (formerly DOLMA DEVELOPMENT FUND):

The Dolma Foundation (formerly Dolma Development Fund and currently

rebranding) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2003 to alleviate poverty by

investing in education, health and sustainable businesses in Nepal. Through a

Community Partnership Model, in education, DDF works to transform the lives of

children through a school sponsorship programme, in health it helps remote

communities and children with disabilities reach the care they need and as an

impact investor, the Dolma Foundation empowers local entrepreneurs. This

partnership model brings the organisation close to on-the-ground needs and also

makes sure it considers cultural sensitivities, while directly involving local people in

the programmes and businesses it helps to create. It is a voluntary charity,

ensuring that no donations go to salaries or related overheads.

Since the earthquakes of 25th April and 12th May 2015 the Dolma Foundation has

been focusing its work on delivering emergency relief aid to the remote

communities it was already working in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. The

earthquake has destroyed an estimated 8,000 homes in Rasuwa and caused an

influx of homeless children to a disabled camp in Kalikastan. The foundation aims

to house up to 1,000 individuals in temporary community shelters during the

monsoon in phase 1. In phase 2, it will take over the management of the

Kalikastan disabled camp and in phase 3, it plans to rebuild up to 400 homes in

target VDCs (Bhorle, Kalikastan, Dhunche and Bridim). The NERA grant is aimed

at supporting these activities, with a particular interest in the refurbishment,

management and staff training for the Kalikastan disabled camp. Disability is a

keen area of interest for Tim Gocher (Chairman and Founder) and his wife Pooja,

due to their youngest son being challenged with autism.

This short film will highlight the urgency of the need to support the Kalikastan

disabled camp.

The Dolma Foundation Website

3.5 RESILIENT HOMES (SHURAKSHIT GHAR) under the HIMALAYAN

CLIMATE INTIATIVE:

NERA met with the Resilient Homes (Shurakshit Ghar) project team and although

NERA will not be supporting this organisation with a grant, due to their potential to

access much greater funds, including institutional funding, it was agreed that this

project should be supported with a short film to promote their profile and work on

this resilient homes model. The model is a simple, accessible, compatible and

innovative solution to providing mid to long-term housing solutions for rural Nepal.

Here is the film we made for them to promote this idea.

Resilient Homes project under the Himalayan Climate Initiative Website

3.6 PHASE-NEPAL:

Practical Help Achieving Self Empowerment – PHASE Nepal was established in

2006, by a group of development professionals involved in various sectors in Nepal

and specializes in improving health, education services and livelihood opportunities

for disadvantaged populations in very remote and resource poor Himalayan

mountain villages in Nepal. PHASE aims to support the most vulnerable people to

break the cycle of poverty; by assisting communities and local authorities to lay the

groundwork for a self-sufficient future.

PHASE has special emphasis and expertise on working in extremely remote areas

– areas in the high Himalayas, with scant resources, a harsh climate, difficult

terrain, and little or no access to basic services. These are areas often missed by

development NGOs as being too difficult and expensive to manage successful

projects in. PHASE’s philosophy is to work in areas of greatest need, which is

extremely challenging but is also an area in which we have had extensive success.

Currently, PHASE has ongoing programmes in five districts (17 VDCs) of Nepal

(Gorkha, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Humla and Bajra), of which the first three listed

here have been severely impacted by the earthquake. NERA visited the work of

PHASE in Sindhupalchowk and is supporting the organisation with a grant to

rebuild their health posts and outreach clinics in Fulpinkot and Hagam VDC’s, after

they were totally destroyed. PHASE will work with the local community and the

district government on this rebuilding project. The expected number of

beneficiaries is 1,722 households with a total population of 7,662

This short film taken in Fulpinkot VDC highlights the impact of supporting

PHASE’s work.

PHASE Nepal Website

3.7 7.6 LIFE TO DUBACHAUR (7.6 LTD):

7.6 LTD is an informal group started by friends of the Enfield Motorbike Group in

Nepal. Immediately after the earthquake this group was very organised in

proactively helping with search and rescue and providing relief aid to those really in

need. Members of this group have experience over a wide spectrum of sectors

such as tourism/travel, logistics, education and business to name a few, which

means they have been able to mobilise quickly and leverage much support. After

initially, providing support and relief to a number of communities and organisations

they decided to form a project group under the official umbrella of the Social

Awareness and Helping Activities in Rural Areas (SAHARA) Group. This NGO was

established in 1997, working for the promotion and protection of child rights,

women empowerment and to create awareness and eradicate stigma of HIV/AIDS.

The Sahara Group has as a part of this been working on livelihood and, hygiene

and sanitation programmes in rural Nepal.

7.6 LTD as a group decided to focus its support on one area, as it believed this

would be the best way of channelling its efforts with the greatest impact. It is

providing immediate assistance to 1200 residents of one of the worst earthquake-

affected communities in Dubachaur VDC, in Sindhupalchowk District where 135

persons lost their lives. Wards 3 and 4 have been selected for the initial

implementation, where there are significant Dalit populations, with the aim to

provide long-term recovery assistance to the local community by helping them

revitalize rural livelihoods, repair infrastructure and improve health through

repairing/introducing hygiene and sanitation programmes and health clinics and

camps. Along with the local community it has identified an urgent need for toilets

(20), the installation of septic tanks (5), water storage tanks and water filtration

units (10), throughout the villages and at the school.

The short film for this project is still being edited. Please check the Bulldog

Trust website and the Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal page for updates.

The short film for this project is still being edited. Please check the Bulldog

Trust website and the Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal page for updates.

Email updates will done on a quarterly basis, so you can expect the next one

when we are back from Nepal at the end of August 2015 and can report on

progress of projects and situational needs of the monsoon period.

The Bulldog Trust Website

Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal Facebook

4. NEXT STEPS:

In line with the aim of the NERA to identify capable, competent and trusted

grassroots initiatives and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) working on

the ground in Nepal and support them with grants for urgent earthquake relief aid

and seed funding for projects and initiatives focusing on recovery and rebuilding,

myself and Camille Summers Valli will be going to Nepal again in August to identify

new partnerships and again document their initiatives work in a series of short

films.

Supporting small competent and capable organisations that know the local context

and community of their work well, allows for a much more hands on direct

approach to rebuilding and recovery, which should deliver tangible results

efficiently, whilst preserving cultural and contextual sensibilities, so as to empower

local communities to guide the rebuilding of their own communities.

4.1 PRIORITIES:

The most important need is to ensure the population have access to

food/water, medical attention, hygiene and sanitation and shelter.

Organisations working in the above areas and with vulnerable

communities, such as marginalised castes (Tamang and Dalits), women

and children and those with disabilities or health problems, such as

burns survivors and leprosy-affected persons will be prioritised as

beneficiaries for support.

On ground assessments communicating with a range of actors

(government, INGO’s, NGO’s and beneficiaries) has highlighted the

need to channel resources to areas at risk of falling through the cracks of

larger initiatives.

Maintaining good channels of communication with grant recipients, as

well as a variety of other organsitions and networks working on the

ground is key to maintaining an effective and efficient approach for

support.

Alison and Camille continue to identify credible organizations in Nepal. They will be returning in August to fund

and facilitate more recovery work. A new update email will be sent later this year outlining the organizations we

will be supporting at this time.