Bhumesthan Reconstruction
The earthquake rendered all 32 houses uninhabitable, most of them completely destroyed.
With this project, we are helping people rebuild their homes – every household in Bhumesthan.
The plan is for each of the 32 families in the village to receive enough building materials to construct a small, three-room house. These houses are intended to house multiple generations, so we are truly only building the bare necessities for a dignified life.
Project Information
Bhumesthan is a small village belonging to Fulkharka, which in turn is located in the Dhaging region.
In July 2015, we visited the village for the first time to get a firsthand look. It was very sad to see how completely destroyed everything was.
However, we were all the more pleased to see that the entire village was pulling together and that we could truly achieve something together.
During our visit in July, a "construction committee" was appointed. In the meantime, an inspection commission has also been appointed, so every process in the village is monitored.
The approximately CHF 25,000 raised so far has been used to purchase materials for the foundations of all 32 houses. Most residents will likely build two-room houses, each with its own toilet; others have opted for terraced houses to save on materials. (As of February 2016)
We were able to raise the money for the roofs in the meantime, thanks to a fundraising event in the spring and further generous donations. Now we're seeing if any further costs will arise – for example, to replace the water pipes or renovate the well. (As of August 2016)
Slowly but surely, progress is being made. Read on here; we'll provide updates from time to time...
As of December 2015:
We've transferred another 6,000 CHF to Narayan so that construction can begin despite the blockade. This allows us to buy all the building materials at once – the gasoline will be purchased on the black market. But the harvest is in, the sites are cleared and ready – the people now have time.
We want to get started.
As of February 2016,
we are thrilled that significant progress has already been made. The first house is finished, and the whole of Bhumesthan is a construction site. The people are overjoyed and all looking forward to their new homes.
As of July 2016,
13 houses have been completed. However, the monsoon season has now arrived, so construction cannot resume until the end of September/October. Considering that we were only able to truly begin in February 2016 due to the blockade with India, we are very satisfied with the progress.
As of September 2017,
24 houses have been completed, and several more are under construction. However, this year's monsoon season is again long and intense, so we will have to be patient.
Of course, we hope that the work will be virtually finished by December; but time simply moves differently in Nepal than here. Furthermore, the residents have to share the limited resources they have for construction and therefore cannot all build at the same time.
But everyone is happy and we keep receiving thank-you messages via email and Facebook ♥
As of December 2017,
after another visit to the village, we are happy to confirm that every family has a home again.
Visit July 2015
Visit February 2016
Visit November 2017
