Nepal | JULY 2016 | MISSION REPORT
A big THANK YOU for all your support for the earthquake victims in Nepal that are living in poverty.
Medical and dental care were provided by our 2 doctors, a dentist, a physiotherapist and 4 nurses in the team. We ran medical clinics in 7 different villages, orphanage and school where the locals are not able to afford medical consultation or treatment.
A visit to the dentist or doctor is something the poor cannot afford. They usually bear the pain until the condition becomes severe and then take a loan with high interest to see the doctors.
We also invested in purchasing 28 goats for 14 poor families. Each family receives 2 female goats for milk and breeding. Each goat will reproduce 2 kids every 6 months. The family will return the kids which can then be given to another family. This self-sustaining project will produce over a hundred kids during the first year and continue to multiply.
The team also worked on the rebuilding of earthquake resistant homes, certified by an architect volunteer. This involved proper foundations and heavy digging (8 huge holes 1.2m x 1.2m x 1.1m). We worked on the house for a family who was living in a temporary tin shed since the earthquake which provided no protection against the cold in winter and the heat in summer. We sponsored the building material cost including the foundations, the pillars and the roof; the community assisted with the construction and completion. This encourages the locals to be involved and not to rely 100% on aid. The walls could be built from recycled materials from the earthquake. Our hope is that this village would not only rebuild their homes, but their community.
At the last part of the trip we ran the dental clinic and school camp at Gloria school in Kathmandu for 190 children from poor families. The school and its land was totally destroyed during the earthquake and had to be rebuilt from scratch. The dental team provided full dental check-ups and treatments for the 180 students, in which some had never been to a dentist.
In parallel, clean water systems were set up at the school and in both boys’ and girls’ dormitories. The water filters were donated by HomeSpun Environmental USA. The rest of the team spent quality time with the students encouraging them in their aspirations. Education and unemployment remains a key issue in Nepal. Together with the crippling earthquake, we can sense the despair and hopelessness of the people. A year on after the earthquake, all the Nepalese had not yet received governmental aid except for some regions in the north west.
Lastly, we conducted a dental clinic for Hope Trust orphanage as well as delivering donations from the UK including toothbrushes, toothpaste, clothes, stationary and toys. It was a lovely time with the children, and always a refreshing reminder to see what joy children can have despite the little material procession they have.
