Help the Victims of the Earthquake in Nepal

Dear Supporter,

I am writing to thank you for your support, which continues to make a difference as we work to help rebuild people’s lives in Nepal in the wake of the 2015 earthquake. Concern initially responded to the disaster by assisting in repairing schools, providing shelter support to those whose homes were destroyed or damaged, and distributing emergency kits that allowed affected households to meet their most pressing needs. Concern’s current focus is assisting the people of Nepal in safely managing demolition and debris of destroyed and damaged structures, an important need that is often overlooked.

While there was a robust humanitarian response in the aftermath of the earthquake, Nepal continues to struggle with problems posed by the collapsed and compromised structures that were left behind. The Sindhuli District was one of the most severely affected districts in Nepal, and 34% of all dwellings in the district were completely destroyed, with many more suffering partial damage. Of the structures that were destroyed in the district, only 1% had been safely demolished as of November 2015. On the ground, this meant that there were many unsafe piles of rubble and weakened structures throughout the countryside that posed acute risks to affected communities.    

Reflecting our mission to invest in long term and sustainable development, Concern recognized that the rubble and unsafe buildings posed an ongoing problem, and with your considerable support we have been assisting communities in the Sindhuli District in safely demolishing buildings that are beyond repair. Debris salvaged through the demolition process is subsequently repurposed and used in the construction of new buildings in the targeted communities.

As part of this effort, since September 2016 Concern has been partnering with a local organization, Relief Nepal, to safely demolish and salvage debris from four schools in the Sindhuli District. The schools will then be rebuilt, a process which will incorporate as much of the salvaged debris as possible. The project will result in an improved learning environment and safer schools for 437 students and teachers in the district. This activity is also helping to build knowledge and skills on demolition and debris management within the community, while providing opportunities to earn income. In January of 2017, 40 selected community members participated in trainings that will allow them to safely carry out the safe demolition and salvaging of debris. Ten participants were then assigned to work on each of the targeted schools. Community members were selected through criteria that aimed to give opportunities for the most disadvantaged and marginalized people in the affected communities to build their skills and receive cash for work. 

After the training was completed, demolition work began in two of the selected schools during the last week of January and buildings at these two schools have now been completely demolished. The work of clearing and sorting the resultant debris continues, including clearing the building foundations in order to prepare for reconstruction. In the remaining two schools, demolition began during the first week of March and will continue throughout the month, following the same steps.

Looking ahead, Concern staff plan to conduct field visits to each of the school sites to review and monitor progress of the demolition and debris management process. Once the work has been satisfactorily completed, the community members will receive cash for their labor. We look forward to providing updates on this exciting work! We are very grateful for your support, without which this vital work would not be possible.