Rebuilding Homes and Hope

KAVRE, NEPAL: POST QUAKE UPDATE

Homeowner Ishori Bogoti is very grateful for the help rendered to her. She is looking forward to putting up the walls, windows and doors next! Ishori was selected by her community to be one of the project beneficiaries because of her needy background. Married to an absent alcoholic husband who works as a cobbler in Kathmandu, Ishori is left largely on her own in Nala village, tending her land to provide for her elderly mother and 2 daughters (aged 8 and 16). Life became difficult after the quake. Her husband became more drunk and violent. Several times, Ishori’s neighbours had to come to her rescue when he returns to their makeshift shelter in a drunken fit. Determined and eager to start anew, Ishori is the first in Nala to clear her land for the rebuilding project.

The first prototype house frame is complete!

It takes about 10 days to complete one house frame with many hands on deck. Most of the time and effort goes into foundation works. Even though the process is tedious and no one sees the finished work, it is essential in making sure homeowners get a safe, earthquake resistant house at the end of the day.

House #2: RC columns completed

House #3: Setting out gridlines

House #3: Casting of footers

House #3: Preparing to cast RC columns

Never has Nepal experienced such an extended, severe shortage of fuel and LPG supply and it doesn’t look like the India-backed blockade will be lifted soon. Public buses are dangerously overcrowded and people have to queue overnight just to get a half-tank LPG refill. Many villagers are already resorting to cook with firewood. Undoubtedly, quake rebuilding efforts are affected. The rise in material costs has inflated our budget of 2,000 SGD per house to an actual cost of 3,500 SGD. As winter approaches, do we continue or wait it out?

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.