Post Emergency Assistance and Reconstruction of Yangrima School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beneficiaries: Peoples affected by the Earthquake

Cities / Regions involved: Helambu

Period: June 2015 - December 2015

Source of funding: Fundraising

Project Status: ended the first, outgoing the second part of the project

A first devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake ripped through Nepal on April 25th with the epicenter at Sindhupalchowk, Gorkha and other mountain district. It has caused mega destruction all over the country. The damage in the capital city, Kathmandu, was extensive but the damage in the surrounding regions near the epicenter, was even greater , causing 2500 deaths and more than 5000 seriously injured just in Sindhupalchowk, where the 95% of building collapsed. 

A second strong earthquake of 7.4 magnitude hit the area on May 12th causing more casualties and thousands of injuries and worsen even more the situation. There have been many aftershocks, with the largest of 6.7 scale, occurring every day bringing big turmoil among settlements in Himalaya.

More than 16,000 public and private schools, which is about half of the country's total, have been damaged, from which at least 5000 are completely destroyed.

Helambu is a region of highland villages in Nepal, in Sindhupalchok district, about 30  km from Kathmandu. It is the home of the Hyolmo people. The area of Helambu has been very much affected by the earthquake and many villages have lost a large proportion of homes. It is still difficult to know the exact extent of damage in these areas as communication remains limited. 

It is essential to face the immediate humanitarian challenges first, and after, it is also essential to think at the mid-long term recovery of the situation and population wellbeing. Nepal's children have to go back to school. Some kind of normality and the feeling of being in safe spaces will help them to recover gradually from the terrible trauma.

Many experiences from the past, show that if children are out of school for long periods, they have a greater risk of falling into child labor, child marriage and sexual exploitation, and they become much more vulnerable to suffer from violence and rape or being recruited for fighting, prostitution and other life-threatening activities. Many will simply never return to the classroom.

At Yangrima, most of the school buildings are completely or partially destroyed.  Since the physical structures are completely collapsed all the operation of the school has been shut down from the date indefinitely. Rebuilding the school will be the opportunity for children to come back to school and will also help the communities to recover and improve their situation.

Our project goal is Improving the situation of the peoples in the area of Helambu (Nepal) affected by the Earthquakes of April and May 2015, especially children. 

Specific Objectives: 

1.Provide basic long-standing needs for the children and families of the villages that surround the school

2.Improve the conditions of the school at short-term to make possible the continuation of the school activities.

3.Reconstruct the school at a long term 

Short-mid term project:

There is an urgent need for more supplies to feed and shelter the children, many of whom have lost their parents. It is also essential to think about long-standing methods of providing basic needs like water, food, health. 

1. Ensuring safe drinking water: 

1. - Purifiers. 

2. Food: 

- Rice 

- Potatoes 

- Lentils 

- Tsampa 

- Sugar 

- Flour 

3. Preventive measures from epidemic diseases: 

- Soap 

- Towels 

- Sanitary napkins for women

 - Mosquito nets 

4. Alternative energy methods: 

- Solar /Dynamo lighting system and candles

- Solar/Dynamo chargers for cell phones with multiple charge system.

- Solar panels that can light up two bulbs and few phone chargers

- Construction of toilet for proper waste disposal. 

Mid-Long term project: 

Rebuilding the school to accommodate 100 children and provide them with education, clothing, food and shelter. The structure of the school includes: 

1. 4 Residence building 

- Sheets 

- Beds 

2. 13 classrooms 

3. 1 Medical room with basic medical supplies.

This project will provide basic immediate needs to aprox. 200 children that attend Yangrima school, including safe water, food, and shelter.  

It will help the Hylombo peoples that live in the valley to strat recovering from the earthquake devastation. There are 6 villages around the school and altogether there are around 200 families, each family has between 4 and 5 members. That makes a total of around 800 – 1000 people that would benefit from the project, obtaining basic assistance (safe water, food, power, sanitary material –especially for disease prevention-, medicines, etc). 

We will focus especially in children and mothers, that are around the 50% of the population in the valley.

 

PHOTOGALLERY