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Caritas helping to rebuild lives in Nepal

People who lost homes to last year's quake are finally able to move out of temporary shacks into new accommodation
Caritas helping to rebuild lives in Nepal

Kalpana Thapa, 40, beside near foundation work done for what will be her new house, which is being supported by Caritas Nepal. (ucanews.com photo by Pragati Shahi)

Published: August 03, 2016 07:17 AM GMT
Updated: August 04, 2016 12:58 AM GMT

Krishna Kumari Bishokarma was sitting outside her mud house In Nepal lunching on Dhido, a staple food, when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook the ground on April 25 last year.

"I was lucky to be outside the house and had time to move to the nearest open area. I can't think what would have happened if I was inside because the house collapsed in front my eyes," said 80-year-old Bishwokarma, a widow from Balthali village in Kavre district.

Her three sons' houses were also damaged the day the earthquake struck. "I took shelter in a one-roomed wooden house built by my step-son for five days, until I received tarpaulin from Caritas," Bishwokarma said. She was the first to receive tarpaulin along with 240 priority families as part of the Catholic charity's emergency relief efforts.

About a month later, Caritas distributed tarpaulins along with food and hygiene kits to an additional 607 families in Balthali, around 40-kilometers away from Kathmandu. They included poor families, widows, the elderly and disabled people, among others.

After living under the temporary shelter for almost 15 months, Bishwokarma has once again taken refuge in her stepson's wooden house. Her temporary tented shelter was dismantled last month to build a two-roomed earthquake-resistant house in the same place, supported by Caritas Nepal.

In May, the charity launched a three-year Earthquake Recovery Project in eight villages from four districts, all identified among the most earthquake-affected areas. Bishwokarma's new home is one of two demonstration houses being built in Kavre. She expects to move in within the month.

Watching her new home being built, Bishwokarma reminisces. She and her family originally migrated from an even more remote area four decades ago.

Her husband worked as a blacksmith before his death 21 years ago. Soon after the death of her husband, her sons left home and she has been living alone since then.

"I earned money selling brooms, but stopped working after the earthquake," said Bishwokarma, who is suffering from respiratory and pressure-related problems.

"I am eagerly waiting to move to my own house. I am ill and want to relocate as soon as possible," she said.

Krishna Kumari Bishwokarma, 80, is having an earthquake-resistant house built for her through support from Caritas. (ucanews.com photo by Pragati Shahi)

 

The family of Kalpana Thapa, 40, a widow from the same village as Bishwokarma, is also receiving support from Caritas.

Thapa's husband committed suicide seven years ago and since then, the family of seven, including five children and two wives, have been living in a two-storied mud house, until last year's earthquake destroyed it. "We were working in the field when the earthquake struck," said Thapa.

Their home was severely damaged by the first major shock and collapsed the next day when a series of aftershocks hit.

"We have been living in a tented shelter since then," she continued. "Life is difficult inside the dilapidated temporary shelter but we don't have the money to build a new house."  

Caritas is building her a four-roomed earthquake-resistant house. "We don't have any income source so we are grateful to Caritas for their support," said Thapa.

 

 

Foundation work done so far for Krishna Kumari Bishwokarma's new earthquake-resistant house. (ucanews.com photo by Pragati Shahi)

 

Assisting since day one

Manindra Malla, Head of Program Operations for Caritas Nepal, said that Caritas was among the first organizations to provide emergency aid and recovery supplies — starting the day after the earthquake struck.

During the relief phase, they reached out to 168 villages in 15 districts, including Kavre.

"Our primary target is to reach out to the most vulnerable and marginalized people and communities who are in dire need of support," said Malla.

Besides practical assistance Caritas is also in the process of providing money to assist with reconstruction.

"We are aiming to provide the first installment of 50,000 rupees (US$500) to each household within a month. The construction work will start soon after," Malla said.

But Nepal's rebuilding works have been painstakingly slow and thousands of families in remote villages are still waiting for support to rebuild their damaged houses. The Nepalese government formed a National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) almost eight months after the earthquake. They started disbursing housing aid April this year.

In February, the NRA temporarily banned NGOs from rebuilding people's homes while they worked out proper guidelines.

A month later, the authority formulated the "Mobilization of NGOs in Reconstruction and Rehabilitation" guidelines that encouraged NGOs to deposit funds in the authority's own fund so they could carry out rebuilding works.

They fixed the amount that could be granted to each household at Rs 200,000 (US$2,000) provided in three installments. However the amount can be increased for "ultra poor families, widows with underage children, single mothers, families comprising members above the age of 75 and disabled people," according to Ram Prasad Thapaliya, NRA spokesperson.

The reconstruction authority has so far identified 533,155 households who are in line for payouts. Bishwokarma's house is listed as a "true beneficiary" and is eligible to receive the full amount.

The assessment is ongoing in three districts, said Thapaliya. So far 39,702 families in 11 districts have received the first installment of their rebuilding aid.

 

Balthali village in the Kavre district which around 40-kilometers from Kathmandu. (ucanews.com photo by Pragati Shahi)

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