Namaste (Greetings) from Nepal,
The entire world has heard the tragic news about the strong earthquakes that occurred in the country of Nepal these last 4 days and has also seen the visual pictures and videos of the tremendous destruction it has caused which is heart-wrenching.
I don't want to add my own personal story and first hand accounts to this because the whole experience has been very traumatic...
Those whose houses are not completely in ruins and still standing - are nevertheless still living in makeshift shelter tents outside because they are afraid to return to their homes in anticipation of more possible aftershocks;
Those whose homes are totally in ruins - don't have a home to return to and are now homeless...
I would much rather focus now on the positive aspect of this, which is coming together to bring aid to others in need. Because this is the best thing we can do right now - to turn our attention and thoughts into positive action, uncover hope and strength within ourselves, and do something selfless for others;
Anything, even if we are only able to help a few....
My proposal is to bring aid to the Nepalese people, concentrating first and foremost on the villages. The city of Kathmandu is able to handle the situation well, they have hospitals and many non-governmental organizations which work hard to provide aid since they are under scrutiny and that is expected of them. The more remote villages on the outskirts of the Himalayas suffer the greatest.
It will be very difficult for us to reach everyone who needs our help, this is rather impossible; but we can make a change in at least one village, maybe two.
Baseri- a village located 160 km from Kathmandu is near the border of Tibet in the Manaslu region.It has a population of about 4700 people and 700 homes.
Majority of its inhabitants are women and children and the elderly. Villages have a dire shortage of young men, since most of them travel far distances searching for work to make a decent living and put food on their family's table. Many of them seek employment opportunities in Kathmandu but also travel internationally to nearby Asian countries like India and Dubai, etc...
The village of Baseri suffered greatly and sustained devastating damages because the epicenter of the earthquake was right next to it. From the 700 homes, only a few were spared and left intact and the only elementary school in the village also lays destroyed in ruins.
This village is my husband's birthplace and because I am very familiar with the people and customs, it is very dear to my heart; This is the reason and inspiration behind my idea to help these villagers as much as possible to get back on their feet.
Who am I?:
I live in Kathmandu for the past few years and own/manage Hotel Mi Casa there. Nepal is my home. I have 3 small children and a deep internal desire and need to provide aid to others in need. Life here is very difficult and sometimes full of experiences which are completely different from those of my upbringing. Although I have made Nepal my home, it is absolutely not any Shangri-la, even though some may describe this place as such. The people here, like any other people, can be warm-hearted, open-minded, positive but can also be malicious, envious, and aggressive. Nevertheless, I still live here, lead my everyday life here, raise my children here, and want to do something for this country.
May is monsoon season for Nepal. It rains then every single day, a few hours daily. The people currently have no shelter to turn to, they live under the open sky. They are in dire need of immediate relief aid/help.
The items needed the most right now are:
Tents: one tent can provide shelter to around 15 people; the cost is about $35 per tent
Rice: 30 kg of rice costs about $25
Lentils: 1 kg dry lentils costs about $3
The price of current goods/products have greatly increased, some even five fold.
Additional costs are for the transport of these goods to the village(s), possibly even the cost of hiring porters to transport these goods by foot since automobiles are unable to reach the village due to the lack of roads.
Internet contact with me is very limited. In Kathmandu there is a constant power outage and the internet access is extremely slow and limited.
I am providing the contact information to a dear friend of mine, Agata, who has traveled to Nepal in the past and is full-heartedly willing to offer her help in this relief effort. Please contact Agata and myself ( although due to the limited internet access I am unable to promise a quick response to your e-mails). I currently have about 700 unread e-mails in my inbox, many of which are offers to provide help and assistance to the Nepalese people most affected by this natural disaster. I fully believe that together as one unity we can achieve something great and help these people to rebuild their shattered lives and homes! Thank you all in advance, NAMASTE!
Agata's e-mail: agaszwed@yahoo.com
PayPal: agaszwed@yahoo.com
Viber: +977 9843 247 396
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