Help vulnerable families rebuild homes in Nepal

Dear Global Giver,

For the past several weeks in Washington, DC, we have been hit with large thunderstorms. As thunder claps and rain pounds the concrete, I find myself deeply grateful for the solid roof over my head.

For so many families in Nepal, a torrential downpour still means hours of trying to stay dry in a corrugated tin structure. It means leaks onto floors made of tarpaulin, because two years after the earthquake many families still do not have the means to build their own homes. But today, I write with a success story: one family who no longer has to worry about monsoon season, and an entire community that benefited from the rebuilding work.

Arjun, the first community-selected beneficiary of GoodWeave’s project to rebuild homes in Nepal, was a carpet weaver by trade when he lost his home in the 2015 earthquake. Now, thanks to the trainings provided by GoodWeave and Build up Nepal, Arjun and his family officially have a house to call their own. The last Compressed Stabilized Earth Bricks locked into place, and they are now protected from the weather and danger that comes with living in a temporary structure. Moreover, this new home is earthquake-resistant; if disaster ever strikes again, Arjun and his family have a much better chance of not having to rebuild from the ground up.

But Arjun’s story is just the beginning. In the process of building his home, another 25 members of the community received training in CSEB production. Eight of them were employed daily. This job, in combination with other household earnings, helped these workers earn over 800 rupees each day (for reference, the minimum wage in Nepal is approximately 265 rupees per day).

As GoodWeave grows to reach more communities in Nepal, we want to be sure that we stay true to the very heart of our organization: ending child labor by unraveling the system that makes it seem necessary in the first place. By helping these workers find stability and a profitable job, we ensure that they will never feel the need to send their children to work.  Children can then focus on their studies and, by extension, their futures.

The next time it rains in DC, I will be thinking of Arjun and his family, now safe and warm because of your support. Thank you for your continued commitment to this project, and I look forward to sharing the stories of more families that find safety and stability through this work.

With gratitude,

Nina Smith

Dear GlobalGiver,

In my last update, I reintroduced you to the recovery process of a country still healing from the damages of a devastating natural disaster. I told you of our plans for rebuilding homes in the Kathmandu Valley, despite the distinct challenges of the last two years. At the time, our partnership with Build up Nepal was at its very beginning: GoodWeave was just learning about the benefits of earth-reinforced bricks, and discovering new ways to reach the 85 weaving families that had been struggling for two years.

In the months since my last update, GoodWeave has worked alongside Build up Nepal to implement the earth-reinforced brick building process across the Sindhupalchowk District. Compressed Stabilized Earth Bricks (CSEB) trainings have been completed in four out of our five targeted villages – Lisankhu, Thulo Dhading, Fulping Kot, and Hagam – and are in progress in the fifth, and final, village of Dubachaur. I was struck by the images of those trainings, which are shared below; they show an engaged and excited community. And, next to each training, the rows and rows of interlocking bricks stand proudly as symbols of hope and resilience.

In Lisankhu and Thulo Dhading, community members have broken ground on the first houses. Trainees in Linsankhu have produced 2,200 bricks – enough to build not only the first model home, but the foundations of several others as well. With the help of the GoodWeave team, the community has also chosen its very first beneficiary: a man named Arjun, one of the poorest members of the weaving communities we support. Thulo Dhading has taken similar steps; trained community members have produced 1,900 bricks, which will provide a roof over the head of Samjhana, a single woman with a small parcel of land and little else.

Other villages are not far behind. With the support of the GoodWeave and Build up Nepal teams, model houses in every targeted village will be constructed by the end of August. Enough bricks to support all 85 weaving families will be produced by the end of September. And, by December of this year, each and every one of those families still recovering from the devastation of the earthquake will have a permanent home.

As always, GoodWeave exists to help children find better lives. Children without the foundation of a steady home are more vulnerable to exploitation, and parents focused on rebuilding efforts cannot earn wages or prioritize sending their sons and daughters to school. With your support, this project has enabled us to give security and safety to 85 families and their children. As we help them build their homes, they can begin building their futures.

Your support for this project and your consistent care for families across the world are what enable GoodWeave to make sustainable change. Thank you, deeply, for your continued support. I look forward to providing further updates as the project progresses.

Gratefully,

Nina Smith

CEO