Rescued in Langtang:Return the Gift
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When the earthquake devastated Nepal I was trekking in Langtang National Park and staying in the village of Briddim at a home stay. The family I was staying with offered me and the 9 other trekkers in the village everything they had. It is because of their kindness that I am here today*. Their family home and the village at large were destroyed by the disaster, leaving the people homeless and in dire need of help. This campaign is an effort to ‘Return the Gift’ to this family and the village of Briddim by raising money to re-build the family’s home and support the village’s re-construction efforts.
Briddim is a remote village in the Tamang region of northern Nepal, near the Tibetan border. It is a three-hour trek from the nearest road, which is blocked at several points due to landslides that occurred during the earthquake. The village was devastated by the disaster, leaving most of the 43 hillside homes in unlivable condition. The people are living in tents and tarp structures and surviving on the limited food reserves they had before the disaster struck. The power for the whole village was lost after the earthquake, as well as network reception. They have not received any aid to date from government or private organizations. They need our help.
My survival of this disaster was made possible by the daily generosity of the Nepali people. In a time when they didn’t know when food would become accessible again, they shared their meals with me. In a time when all the local homes were destroyed, they made sure I had a safe place to sleep. I need to ‘Return the Gift’. This campaign is dedicated to ensuring that the people who provided for my basic needs from their hearts will have their basic needs met moving foreword. One family at a time, village by village, we can help Nepal survive the aftermath of this disaster.
The short-term vision for this project is to generate funds and send immediate relief supplies of food, water purification methods, medical supplies and temporary shelter that can make it through the upcoming monsoon season. The supplies will need to be airlifted into the village due to the blocked road access.
The long-term vision includes collaborating with experts in earthquake relief re-construction, natural builders, ecological designers, architects, engineers and volunteers. First we will re-build the personal home of the family that took care of the trekkers as an example of how to build earthquake safe infrastructure using locally sourced materials. As Nepal sits on a fault line it is sure that earthquakes will occurs again, so re-builds need to be educated on safe building practices in order to be effective. This re-build will serve as an educational model for the village and the community at large, encouraging locals to participate in the construction to gain understanding and experience in the methods. If this phase is successful and the community at large is responsive we will expand the project to re-build the local monastery, schoolhouse and the other village homes. The vision is to create a much-needed sustainable model for disaster relief that leaves affected communities with safe, environmentally sound infrastructure to build their lives and happiness.
By starting small and allowing space for the project to grow and evolve we are focusing on the tangible while holding space for the infinite. In times of disaster it is important to remember that the big actions are made up of many little actions, and we have to start somewhere. With your help we can Return the Gift to one family and nurture that gift to grow and expand into an ocean of change. By working directly with the village on a personal level we bypass the government corruption in Nepal and ensure that your donation goes directly to the people. Thank you for being a part of this vision!
As the project materializes and details come together we will update and post the developments. Be sure to follow the project!
*Please read the full description of my personal journey in the earthquake on our facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rescued-in-Langtang-Return-the-Gift/830154507078007
Briddim is a remote village in the Tamang region of northern Nepal, near the Tibetan border. It is a three-hour trek from the nearest road, which is blocked at several points due to landslides that occurred during the earthquake. The village was devastated by the disaster, leaving most of the 43 hillside homes in unlivable condition. The people are living in tents and tarp structures and surviving on the limited food reserves they had before the disaster struck. The power for the whole village was lost after the earthquake, as well as network reception. They have not received any aid to date from government or private organizations. They need our help.My survival of this disaster was made possible by the daily generosity of the Nepali people. In a time when they didn’t know when food would become accessible again, they shared their meals with me. In a time when all the local homes were destroyed, they made sure I had a safe place to sleep. I need to ‘Return the Gift’. This campaign is dedicated to ensuring that the people who provided for my basic needs from their hearts will have their basic needs met moving foreword. One family at a time, village by village, we can help Nepal survive the aftermath of this disaster.
The short-term vision for this project is to generate funds and send immediate relief supplies of food, water purification methods, medical supplies and temporary shelter that can make it through the upcoming monsoon season. The supplies will need to be airlifted into the village due to the blocked road access.
The long-term vision includes collaborating with experts in earthquake relief re-construction, natural builders, ecological designers, architects, engineers and volunteers. First we will re-build the personal home of the family that took care of the trekkers as an example of how to build earthquake safe infrastructure using locally sourced materials. As Nepal sits on a fault line it is sure that earthquakes will occurs again, so re-builds need to be educated on safe building practices in order to be effective. This re-build will serve as an educational model for the village and the community at large, encouraging locals to participate in the construction to gain understanding and experience in the methods. If this phase is successful and the community at large is responsive we will expand the project to re-build the local monastery, schoolhouse and the other village homes. The vision is to create a much-needed sustainable model for disaster relief that leaves affected communities with safe, environmentally sound infrastructure to build their lives and happiness.
By starting small and allowing space for the project to grow and evolve we are focusing on the tangible while holding space for the infinite. In times of disaster it is important to remember that the big actions are made up of many little actions, and we have to start somewhere. With your help we can Return the Gift to one family and nurture that gift to grow and expand into an ocean of change. By working directly with the village on a personal level we bypass the government corruption in Nepal and ensure that your donation goes directly to the people. Thank you for being a part of this vision!
As the project materializes and details come together we will update and post the developments. Be sure to follow the project!
*Please read the full description of my personal journey in the earthquake on our facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rescued-in-Langtang-Return-the-Gift/830154507078007
Organizer
Tamara McLeod
Organizer
Calgary, AB
