I woke up the morning of April 25, 2015 to a flurry of messages from my friends in Nepal. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake had struck the tiny Himalayan country, resulting in a massive loss of lives and infrastructure, killing close to 9,000 people and injuring 22,000.
Shock and confusion were soon replaced by panic. Signals were slowed down for days as people tried to reach loved ones and people sifted through crumbling structures to find signs of life. Day after day, I watched the death toll climb and images of the devastation on television and realized that I could do more - I had to.
Soon my mother and I packed our bags and hopped on the plane with nothing more than a desire to help the country that I fell in love with 2 years prior. The generosity and warmth of the Nepali stayed with me, and I felt drawn to help the people who had treated me like a "didi" or sister.
Leaving the Kathmandu airport, we saw makeshift tents in several locations and crumbled structures where houses and buildings once stood. Cracks ran down the stupas, or Buddhist Shrines. The normal hustle and bustle of the city was replaced by palpable tension in the air, with displaced people trying to adapt to living in tents. People were walking around with what little possessions they were able to salvage and create a new life of normalcy. There was a sense of trepidation over what the coming days and months would bring as Nepal was still experiencing after-shocks.
As luck would have it, our airport taxi driver (Pemba) was interested in our mission and became an invaluable partner. He helped us gain access to different earthquake relief camps and provided us with logistical aid, including coordinating support from local police, negotiating prices for supplies, finding volunteer doctors and nurses and serving as a translator.
Our first project took place in Kathmandu. With a team of 5 other local volunteers, we provided families with food, potable water, bedding, cooking appliances and medical care. For our second mission, we hiked 6 hours into the mountains close to Siurani to provide families with corrugated metal to rebuild their houses. For the third mission, we helped rebuild schools in Sindhupalchok.
"Blessed with Nature's millions of gifts and blessed by the blood sacrificed by our Heroes, we are independent and are immovable - standing still with pride."
~ Nepali National Anthem
The 3 missions were delivered over 5 months, impacting 200 families. In spite of the devastation, the Nepali never lost their smiles and sense of resilience. For that, we are humbled by the experience. My mother and I went with the intent to help and gained so much more in experience and appreciation for the beautiful country and people.
