Help vulnerable families rebuild homes in Nepal

Dear Global Giver,

Recently our project page underwent several changes, from the title all the way to some very specific details about how and who your donation is going to help. Your support has been essential to our response in the months after Nepal’s massive earthquakes in April and May, and I want to thank you and explain why we made some of these changes. I hope you’ll be as excited as we are about the projects we have been able to launch in Nepal with your support.

As you know, our immediate response to the earthquakes last spring focused on providing urgent relief in the GoodWeave community- with beneficiaries including former child laborers, vulnerable carpet weaving families, and carpet industry employers. Initially, our project on GlobalGiving generated funds that went directly to our Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund to provide food, water, medical care and shelter to those most in need. Then we evaluated the damage to our program facilities, as well as to the homes of weavers and industry infrastructure.

While a majority of weavers live and work in Kathmandu, in many cases they leave behind both immediate and extended family members in rural villages who they support financially. Through this evaluation process, we found that approximately 800 families of weavers had lost their homes to the disaster with the majority in the districts of Makwanpur, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Nuwakot, Sindupalchok and Kavrepalanchok. For these vulnerable families, the risk of going into debt is acute. Until they rebuild their homes, most weavers cannot return to work in Kathmandu and earn an income – an income they depend on to provide for their children’s wellbeing and education. At the same time, the carpet industry, which was experiencing a severe worker shortage prior to the earthquake, now struggles with an even greater dearth of skilled weavers as producers attempt to restart their operations.

Part of our long-term plan is to offer vulnerable families an integrated package of support to rebuild their homes, educate their children, and receive psychological counseling. We’ve received funding for some of this project, and are now seeking your support so that more of these families can fully rebuild safe, permanent houses in their home villages. Every family that receives housing support will also have school tuition paid for their school-age kids, provided through a match by a generous donor.

The homes will be earthquake-proof and made with high-quality materials to last for decades. When offered together with education support and counseling, the housing will enable these households to regain economic stability and avoid falling into severe poverty. Not only will they have access to stable housing in their home communities, but they will also be able to avert exploitation – including debt-bondage and child labor in factories or brick kilns. This near-term support will enable weavers get back to work sooner, restore their previous income, and be able to cover short- and long-term family needs. Children will also be protected during this period of vulnerability as they continue their educations.

I hope you will continue to support our efforts to bring stability to the lives of vulnerable weaving families. Please let us know if you have any questions about our ongoing work in Nepal.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Nina