Earthquake relief for Helambu

Please help me to bring relief to Helambu

All the teachers at the school in Timbu

Almost two years ago I found a home away from home in Nepal.  While I was there, I was shown nothing but kindness, generosity and love. Their warmth and softness is something special we could all learn from. 

The family I lived with

I lived in a village called Timbu, which is in the region of Helambu. It is an area with terraced farms, glacial rivers, snow capped mountain views and humble, kind, hard working people. 

The situation:

As you know on Saturday April 25th Nepal was hit by a devastating 7.8 earthquake that was felt in the nearby countries of India, Tibet, China, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Over 5,000 have already died with many still missing. In a country loved for its mountains, it has been challenging to administer aid to so many remote villages. Coupled with the devastation of the earthquake, Nepal is already a poor country: the average family lives on less than $1000 a year.

A destroyed home in Timbu

Most of the coverage has been centered on Kathmandu where much relief is needed. However, this devastation is also felt in the rural villages that are largely inaccessible at this time. Many buildings in the village I taught, Timbu, have been destroyed, including the home of the family I stayed with. Everyone is now living in tents, and they are struggling with no supplies. International aid has yet to reach this part of Nepal.

Villagers living in the tents waiting for supplies

At this point the only fresh water, food and medicine Timbu has received has been from my host brother and other villagers who happened to be in Kathmandu at the time of the earthquake. The road is not opened yet, and they had to walk nearly 20 km from the last open part of the road to reach the village.

What can we do?

They have directly asked me for help to meet the immediate needs of the villagers. Once that is met they hope to start rebuilding what is left of their farming community. I will be wiring 100% of the money I receive directly to the village.  If you would like to help please donate by clicking on the button on the top right.

Devastated village in Helambu

Timbu is one village among many in the Helambu region whose people have lost their lives, homes and everything they knew. Because of this, I am also fundraising through the non-profit I worked with while teaching in Nepal. They will be coordinating disaster relief in Helambu. The funds will be distributed throughout the villages of this region. Currently they are evacuating villagers with critical needs and are beginning a supply chain to bring what is needed to the villages. This non-profit has been working with locals for a number of years and is very connected to the communities and their needs. Here is the link to donate to this tax-deductable non-profit:

Helambu Project

I don’t know what else to say except please think about the value of what you send. An amount that might be quickly forgotten for you will never be forgotten there.

If you have any questions or would like to hear more I would be happy to share my story and what I know. Please help me spread the word and do what we can to help. I will provide updates as I receive them.


Love,

Kelly