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21 Apr 2016

‘They have not told me the name of his disease. They just said my son will never be normal’

By Sven Wolters

“They wanted to kill my son because he is not normal. That is why I left my husband and his family in Ramechhap. That was 15 years ago. Since then I have been living here. I work as a maid so that I can rent a room and take care of my son.

“But then the earthquake came and now I live in this camp. It is very difficult. My son cannot control his voice and he is very loud. The others here get angry about him and complain. We are not part of the community here. I want to move, but nobody will rent me a room because of him. So I have to continue here.

“Every day I take my son to the school for disabled children. It is tough, because he cannot walk by himself. I put my arms around him so he does not fall. It’s even worse here in the camp because the paths are not straight. So every morning we stumble on the way together, and in the afternoon we stumble back.

“Whenever I can afford it, I prepare noodles for him. It’s what he loves most. It makes me happy to see him full of joy and relaxed. The doctors have given me some medicine, not to cure him, just to calm him. They have not told me the name of his disease. They just said my son will never be normal.

“But all the hardship does not matter. Because of all what happened during the earthquake I love my son even more than before. We all have lost so much, but I still have him.”

Photo: Sven Wolters

31 Mar 2016

‘Now this has become a relaxation spot for goats’

By Nitika Shrestha

“On the day of the earthquake, the elder people of the village had gathered here. This was where they got together to relax every day. Then the structure collapsed and three of them died. Many others got injured. Now it’s almost a year, but reconstruction work has not even started. This place has become the relaxation spot for goats. They are not domesticated, they belong to the god. They were given as gifts, for good fortune. As this is a public place, nobody is in charge. No one really cares about them playing in the ruins and the mud.”

Photograph: Sven Wolters

07 Sep 2015

Slowly, A Town Begins Its Journey Of Recovery

By Pushkala Aripaka

Sankhu, 17-km north-east of Kathmandu, witnessed severe destruction in the April 25 earthquake and the May 12 aftershock. Many of the houses in this historic town were damaged, and it suffered a death toll of 300. In the immediate days after, Sankhu figured prominently in the media, as an illustration of the destruction suffered by small towns and villages around Nepal. Four months on, Pushkala Aripaka visits the rural town—and finds the community attempting to rebuild their lives amidst fears of another quake.

A view of Sankhu from one of the tallest buildings in the town.

The view from one of the tallest buildings in the town. Much of the rubble has been cleared. To the left, you can see the green fields where the community grows wheat and maize.

Residents work to clear debris. As in many other towns across Nepal, this is a common sight in Sankhu.

Bricklaying and reconstruction have become the norm in this town of farmers. But for the earthquake, the residents would be working in their fields now.

Clay and perseverance bind the houses. Residents say the government compensation of Rs 15,000 is far from enough.

Panchakumari Shrestha had a narrow escape when her house collapsed and she was trapped under rubble. She has trouble sleeping now. When she is awake, she worries about the cost of rebuilding her house.

Lakshman Shrestha clears the rubble of his house following the Nepal earthquake.

Lakshman Shreshtha thought his wife had perished in the earthquake. Only after six days did he find she was alive. Now, he worries every time there is a tremor.

Two women in Sankhu with a water fountain

A young girl waits for her friend to finish drinking at a water tap, moving her feet in rhythm, before they return to work.

The sun shines into a tunnel of debri in Sakhu, Nepal, after the earthquake.

This battered house and debris is symbolic of Sankhu’s journey: the light of life has passed through a dark tunnel, only to slowly find light once again.

04 Sep 2015

‘The earthquake helped bring about a unity that was lacking in the community’

By Preeti A Karna

“As Nepal’s first environment community radio, we focus on the environment, health and education-related awareness programmes. Immediately after the earthquake, we started relief work. We also disseminated information, running many public service announcements and programmes.

“I believe the earthquake has helped bring about a unity that was lacking in the community. The fact that a crisis like this can happen again has made people aware that a community should stick together, understand other’s needs, and help each other out. I notice that people who previously disregarded social organisations working in the development sector are now giving importance to organisations such as ours. They are cooperating. Even though people have moved on casino10.net, their thinking has definitely changed.”

Photo: Ashma Gautam