Four years ago when the earth underneath Nepal shook, homes collapsed, livelihoods were lost and dreams shattered. What will happen of the survives? When will they get a roof over their heads? These were some of the questions everyone asked and continues to ask. The answers look hazy: while government figures suggest progress in reconstruction, many are still left without homes. But for those who people still need of a roof, the figures don’t matter until their home is rebuilt.
However, amid these dark clouds of despair, some rays of hope have emerged, and they too are worth talking about. Here are some of those stories Onlinekhabar reported since the quake in 2015
How the earthquake gave a Nepali village a new life
Bishnu Kumari Gurung, 45, along with many others from Rainaskot, Lamjung lost their homes to the 2015 earthquake.
With most of the youth already settled in larger cities in the country, the earthquake gave the rest of the villagers a reason to move out. But rather than going away, they decided to stay put. Little did they know that this decision would pay dividends. Rainaskot has turned a page in its history. The people, who struggled to sustain themselves with subsistence agriculture, have a profitable business: homestays next to the Himalayas.
“The days after the earthquake were tough. The earthquake didn’t hurt people physically but we were mentally traumatised. Our houses were badly affected and we were too scared to get in which is why we lived in tents used to cover tomatoes,” says Gurung. Read the whole story here.
Patlekhet Community Homestay continues to thrive even after devastating earthquake
When the likes of Kesav Prasad Badal and Rabindra Neupane proposed the idea of a community homestay to the people of Dandagaun in Patlekhet, Kavre in 2011, many did not take it seriously. Some even laughed at them.
But seven years on, the homestay they imagined has not only become reality but also survived many adversities including the 2015 earthquake. It has now become a destination adored by Nepalis and foreign tourists. Read the whole story here.
Against stereotypes: Women taking lead in Nepal’s earthquake recovery
Tara Tamang, 24, is a woman mason in Gatlang, a small village in Rasuwa. She is one of the first women in her village to work as a mason.
Women in the village would not do construction jobs until a few years back. But, when the massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the country on April 25 three years ago, most houses in her village collapsed and there was a dire need of reconstruction. On the other hand, most men in the region have left the place for better opportunities abroad or go to work in Kerung of Tibet, the rebuilding initiative had to be taken by women with the help of various aid organisations.
Hence, she took part in a 50-day training course in earthquake resilient construction provided by the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and supported by HELVETAS and UK Aid. Read the story here.
On Janmasthami, Patan’s restored Krishna Mandir welcomes pilgrims again
The Patan Krishna Mandir, built in 1637 by Siddhi Narsingh Malla, has a lot of cultural significance. Built-in the Shikhara style and constructed using carved stone, instead of the usual brick and timber, this temple is one of the oldest stone temples in Nepal.
While many pagoda style temples were reduced to rubble, in the past, the Krishna Mandir had not been damaged until the quake in 2015. The temple incurred a lot of structural damage–especially the top two floors that housed Shiva and Buddha. It was closed for visitors. Read the story here.
Tremors of laughter reverberate in quake-ravaged Nepali village
Decades of living in a place as unforgiving as a Nepali village had fostered in them a weakness for mirth. The timing of their unrestrained, infectious and often uproarious laughter never failed to surprise me. I would be interviewing a group of women whose houses had been destroyed. Many of them were without a man in their house. One of them would be talking about the debilitating impact of the earthquake on her life. Read the story here.
