One year ago, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, creating catastrophic damage, killing 7,500 people, and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Communities located in remote areas and ethnic minorities have been the most marginalized and are in greatest need of continued support. HOPE has partnered with a local organization, Women for Peace and Democracy Nepal (WPD), and identified two communities struggling to recover. A year after the quake, families are still working hard to rebuild.
The communities of Sunkhani and Sipa Pokhare are located in the mountains of Nepal and cannot be easily accessed. After the earthquake, over 50% of families were homeless and all of the schools in the communities had been destroyed. Many families were struggling even before the earthquake to meet their daily needs. These communities have large populations of ethnic minorities, and history has shown that these families tend to be left out of relief efforts following a natural disaster.
HOPE will work with the communities to identify the families most in need of support. The families will receive the materials and support needed to construct a new home. Women will then be able to access women's support groups that have been established, which will allow marginalized women to access training on animal husbandry, tailoring, health and hygiene, and basic education such as reading and writing. Temporary schools will also be constructed so the children can continue their education.
Once the immediate need of shelter is addressed, families can start to recover from this devastating disaster. By participating in the women's support groups, vulnerable women will be able to take advantage of skills training that will enable them to earn a sustainable income and provide for their families. Children who are currently unable to attend school due to the destruction will now have a place to learn, enabling more children to finish school and access good jobs in the future.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
