Following the massive earthquake in Nepal which left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless, Dr Mike Lavender, a public health consultant from Durham County Council, who is helping the aid effort, describes the continued efforts of one charity to get the country back on track

“IN April and May last year Nepal was hit by two major earthquakes killing and injuring thousands of people and destroying many homes, including whole villages. I spent two weeks as a volunteer with the charity Child Reach Nepal in one of the worst affected areas treating the injured and advising hard pressed relief workers on how best to cope with the emergency.

“When left I promised to return to see how they had managed to recover after such a disaster. I have just returned from Nepal having visited those same villages to see what change has happened. I was joined by Hugh Stephenson, a friend and colleague at Durham County Council, who has raised more than £16,000 to help ChildReach rebuild schools in the area devastated by the earthquakes.

“We joined one of the ChildReach teams for a week, travelling in a jeep on narrow dirt tracks high up into the Himalayan mountains to reach the remote villages where the schools are being rebuilt. In one village we were invited by the headmaster to stay in his newly rebuilt school. Sleeping on the floor of a school classroom may not seem very hospitable, but then every house in that village had been destroyed and everyone, including the headmaster, was living in temporary shelters made of timber and tin sheet.

“In every village that we visited we saw the same picture. There were very few buildings that remained standing after the earthquake and none had been repaired or rebuilt since the earthquake. The reasons for the delay in rebuilding homes are many and complex.

“Soon after the earthquake Nepal suffered an even greater disaster when the border with India was closed for political reasons. This prevented essential goods, including building materials, from entering the country. This makes the school building programme by ChildReach even more remarkable given the shortage of essential supplies and political uncertainty. In the week we were with ChildReach we saw eleven schools they had either completely rebuilt, or under construction. In one village we arrived to see the whole community helping to lay concrete for the foundations of their new school. Girls were shovelling aggregate into sacks and children were fastening wire to the concrete rods to reinforce the concrete.

“The remarkable efforts made by ChildReach have not gone unnoticed in Nepal. An editorial in the influential Nepali Times newspaper bemoaned the lack of progress being made by the Government since the earthquake. But the article went on to say that in the midst of this there are bright spots. It said ChildReach Nepal working with the Department of Education to rebuild Government schools in Sindupalchok was an ‘inspirational example’.

“Despite all of their efforts ChildReach still has a lot to do to ensure that the schools they are building are open as soon as possible. They are also very aware of the risks faced by children in Nepal from human trafficking. They have a campaign with a slogan ‘Taught not trafficked’.

“We joined the ChildReach team working with school children from the earthquake affected area, helping them to express their views to community leaders about this danger. Time is running out - the coming monsoon rains will make the mountain trails impassable for the trucks to take in building supplies.

“The most moving part of our trip was on the day of the anniversary of the main earthquake. In the village where we were staying we were invited to take part in a solemn ceremony when the community remembered those who had been killed. It was a privilege as strangers to be invited to light some of the oil lamps, one for each of those who had died in the earthquake. As a mark of respect we visited the ancient monastery higher up the mountain. This ancient building was badly damaged including the priceless frescoes inside the main temple. Still, the priest was in no doubt that the temple would be rebuilt.

“These tough and resourceful people live in makeshift homes that are inadequate at the best of times, let alone during monsoon rains and through a harsh winter. Hugh and I stayed in a tin shack for just a few days and found it difficult enough, let alone for a year or more like everyone else in the village. But seeing their local school being rebuilt and their children returning to school has given the people a sense that life is slowly beginning to return to normal and is giving them some hope for the future. They now need more from their Government to give them the support they need to rebuild their homes.”