CAMP HOPE
A bit about Camp Hope and what they plan to acheive in the coming year...
Thousands of displaced people from Nepal's remote mountain areas now reside in Kathmandu camps. One example of one of these camp's is Camp Hope, situated in th centre of Katmandhu. The people currently residing in Camp Hope come from the northern districts of Sindhupalchowk. 5 entire villages have been relocated to Camp Hope following geotechnical assessments that have deemed them unsafe to return to. The land where these villages previously existed has been structurally compromised: there are deep cracks in the earth which during the monsoon have filled with water which are likely to cause catastrophic landslides. Slopes destabilized by the series of earthquakes & recurring aftershocks are at much greater risk of slope failure now that they have been saturated but the monsoon rains. The time frame for safe resettlement or relocation to alternative sites is highly uncertain. Construction and resettlement has not been feasible until now.
"There is an acute shortage of skilled labor required for the massive post-earthquake reconstruction, restoration and seismic retrofitting throughout urban and rural Nepal. Vocational skills required would include - Masonry, Carpentry, Plumbing for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Electricians, Welding and Roofing etc. All are in high demand to rebuild and restore Nepal." (Camp Hope Blog, July 2015).
Camp Hope has set up a fund with an aim to rebuild the 5 villages from Sindhupalchowk. The fund will be used to source the neccessary infrastructure to build houses and social infrastructure capable of withstanding a simialr event and also to train the villagers, providing them with the skills to rebuild their own villages, but also the ability to help others and earn an income at the same time.
As many of you will know, Milla Ralph and Will Ellison-Smith were travelling in Nepal at the time when the earthquake hit and saw the damage that it caused first hand. Having joined together with Rachel Kosciuszko, who also has a long-standing relationship with Nepal, the three of us decided to organise this fund-raising event to celebrate the rebuilding of this beautiful country that we and many others have fallen in love with.
WHY WE'RE INVOLVED
A Camp Hope diary entry that summarises a lot of things:
Wednesday,1st July
Heiko has arranged for a craftsman from Shanti to teach the men in our camp how to make bamboo stools. Inspired by these people turning disability into limitless ability. We were so impressed to see the some of the Camp Hope residents have constructed awnings - entrance porches to their tents. Another now has a timber frame, filled that with crushed rock at the main door - a place that isn't muddy to remove their shoes. A team of men adjusted the tent guy ropes - like pros ! These small examples demonstrate self-reliance, motivation and initiative -such positive traits under trying circumstances. We want to nurture this proactive spirit.
Today an exciting meeting took place at Dwarikas, to discuss the possibilities of implementing a vocational training program. Thousands of displaced people from Nepal's remote mountain areas now reside in Kathmandu camps. These people mostly come from the northern districts of Sindhupalchowk and Rasuwa, in several cases entire villages have been relocated (i.e. the entire Langtang Village of Rasuwa) from locations that geotechnical assessments have deemed unsafe to return to. The land where these villages previously existed has been structurally compromised: there are deep cracks in the earth which during the approaching monsoon will fill with water resulting in the likelihood of catastrophic landslides and slopes destabilized by the series of earthquakes & recurring aftershocks are at much greater risk of slope failure when saturated during the monsoon.
The time frame for safe resettlement or relocation to alternative sites is highly uncertain. Realistically, construction and resettlement will not be feasible to until post-monsoon.Why not use the long wait in Kathmandu as time for vocational training in construction and artisan trades, vital for the rebuilding of Nepal. There is an acute shortage of skilled labor required for the massive post-earthquake reconstruction, restoration and seismic retrofitting throughout urban and rural Nepal. Vocational skills would include- Masonry, Carpentry, Plumbing for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Electricians, Welding and Roofing etc. All in high demand to rebuild and restore Nepal.Such an outpouring of affection from the kids at the camp for Bruno Costa & Lourenco Macedo Santos. The kids simply adore these fun guys who have returned to Nepal to continue building houses.