The people of Britain have been incredibly generous in their response to the need for disaster relief and reconstruction in this very poor country. But now the focus has switched to those desperately sad images of a dead child on a beach in Turkey and the awful and massive migrant problem that is facing Europe. And so it should, and yet … Nepal has not yet recovered – this will take many years and further major earthquakes are predicted. More resources are desperately needed to prevent starvation and disease making things far worse, and to start important rebuilding projects.
In this part of Yorkshire the needs of Nepal have not been forgotten and, through a unique series of partnerships, the generosity of local individuals and businesses is being harnessed to help where the need is greatest in a most cost effective and efficient way.
We have reported before in these pages about the links developed by Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Club in Nepal, about Brigantes’ amazingly successful literacy and economic regeneration project in the Panchamul Valley, headed by Rotarian Barry Pollard and run in partnership with the Rotary Club of the Himalayan Gurkhas. It is on the foundation of working successfully together on that project that much of the success of the Yorkshire Rotary earthquake relief work has been grounded.
We have also reported about Brigantes’ Kids Aloud concert in the Royal Hall in May that raised approximately £9000 for disaster relief in Nepal, but this is only part of a county-wide effort by Rotary to help Nepal that has so far seen over £44,000 raised. This money has been given to two partner clubs in Nepal – the Himalayan Gurkhas and Pokhara Fishtail. Rotary takes no cut of any of this and does not charge any administrative fee, so all the money gets to where it is needed. By transferring funds directly to local clubs even the normal 10% Nepalese government tax on imported money is avoided.
By working with local Rotarians they also guard against corruption and misuse of funds and ensure that the money has the maximum impact. Their fellow Rotarians in Nepal develop partnerships with local communities to ensure that the funds are not just seen as handouts, but rather become the drivers of self-help schemes. For instance, in one area the earthquake had altered the underground water flow and dried up the spring, depriving the village of its water supply. A new water source had to be located and then pipes lain from it to the village and storage tanks constructed.
Rotary partners in Nepal came to an agreement with the villagers. Money raised in Yorkshire would be used to pay a professional water engineer to find a new source and design a new pipe system and to purchase the necessary materials, provided that one person from each household in the village agreed to give four days unpaid labour to lay the pipes and construct the tanks.
The new system has been working now for almost three months. The money saved by using village labour has been used to help others, elsewhere, to start rebuilding their lives, and the focus of all this effort has been on the more remote, rural areas where government support and assistance from other major charities has been slowest to arrive.
Local photographer, Charlotte Gale has committed a great deal of time to the cause. Charlotte recently spent time in the country on a photo-documentary tour and was also key to the success of a charity dinner that raised over £10,000.
Some of Charlotte’s photographs, along with a video are below. Thanks need to be given to Charlotte for allowing us to publish them here.
Pupils at Shree Daraun Higher Secondary SchoolLocal children proudly show off their new pencils, Panchamul ValleyMicro loan pigsPrayer flags at the ‘Monkey Temple’, Kathmandu, NepalThe Panchamul to Pokhara busSarbodaya Higher Secondary School at Aruchaur, Panchamul Valley, NepalShree Guan Pharka Lower Secondary School, Panchamul ValleyChildren in Panchamul village, Panchamul Valley, NepalRotarians Barry Pollard (Harrogate Brigantes) and Major Lil Gurung MBE (Himalayan Gurkhas) meet shop owner Shanti Adhikari, one of the micro loan recipientsNepal Panchamol SchoolYear 8 girls at Shree Tri Shahid Higher Secondary School, Panchamul listen to a presentation by Rotarian Barry Pollard (Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Club) about a twinning project with Rossett School in HarrogateRotarian Barry Pollard (Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Club) shares photos of Rossett School in HarrogateFeminine Hygiene Kits donated to the girls at Shree Gaun Pharka HSS by members of a Rotary club in YorkPanchamol SchoolA lesson at Shree Tri Shahid Higher Secondary School, PanchamulTeam photographer and Rotarian, Charlotte Gale (Charlotte Gale Photography) shows primary school children some of the photos she has just taken of themLooking across from Sirubari towards Panchamul School, Panchamul Valley, NepalA micro loan buffaloMajor Lil Gurung MBE of the Himalayan Gurkhas Rotary Club (Kathmandu) with Barry Pollard (Project Leader) of Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Club – walking between schools in the Panchamul ValleyColourful boats on the lakeside in Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city. The project team stayed here en-route from the capital Kathmandu to the Panchamul ValleyRapakot villagers listen to project team members talk about the importance of literacyChildren at Shree Jana Higher Secondary School, Rapakot, Panchamul Valley
Rotarian Andy Morrison (Andisa IT) and local technician Mya Gurung (e-Networking) set up the IT network at Shree Jana Higher Secondary School, RapakotNepalese Rotarian Major Lil Gurung MBE of the Rotary Club of the Himalayan Gurkhas (Kathmandu) helps to set up the new computer equipment at Shree Jana Higher Secondary School, RapakotTeachers from Sarbodaya Higher Secondary School in Aruchaur welcome the visiting RotariansFormer Rossett pupils, Andy and Callum Morrison, receive a traditional welcome at Aruchaur SchoolRotarian and IT Expert Andy Morrison (Andisa IT) proudly shows off the new IT Suite at Sarbodaya Higher Secondary School, AruchaurRotarians John Ogbourne and Andy Morrison (Andisa IT) receive a traditional greeting from a villager at Shree Gaun Pharka LSSStudents from Shree Gaun Pharka LSS look on in wonder as Callum Morrison shows them a video of themselves on an iPADRotarian Guy Wilson helps train teachers from Shree Gaun Pharka Lower Secondary SchoolEx Rossett pupil, Callum Morrison, helps teachers from Shree Jana Higher Secondary School in Rapakot complete a basic Microsoft Word exerciseJoint meeting of Head Teachers from Panchamul Valley at Shree Gaun Pharka LSS – the first meeting of its kindRotarian and team photographer, Charlotte Gale, performs a technical audit on the IT suite at Shree Daraun HSS. This suite had been installed on a previous tripEx Rossett pupil, Callum Morrison, helps give local teachers in the Panchamul Valley basic IT training in one of the new IT suitesThe project team receive a traditional welcome from villagersProject team members walk to Sarbodaya Higher Secondary School in Aruchaur, Panchamul Valley to begin IT training for the teachersChildren from Sarbodaya Higher Secondary School in Aruchaur give the visiting Rotarians a traditional ‘Namaste’ greetingChildren from Sarbodaya Higher Secondary School in Aruchaur give the visiting Rotarians a traditional ‘Namaste’ greetingChildren from Shree Gaun Pharka Lower Secondary school welcome visiting Rotarians with a traditional danceRotarian (Harrogate Brigantes) Barry Pollard carries out an educational audit at Shree Janahit High School, Panchamul ValleyRotarians Barry Pollard, Major Lil Gurung MBE and Gill Poole (Education Expert and Consultant) carry out an educational audit at Shree Janahit High SchoolWalking to Aruchaur School, Panchamul ValleySirubari villagers returning home after a day in the fields, Panchamul ValleyA travelling salesman – one of the micro loan recipientsShop owner Shanti AdhikariShop owner Shanti Adhikari, one of the micro loan recipientsPanchamul Village, Panchamul Valley, NepalOne of the micro loan recipientsA micro loan goatRotarians Barry Pollard and Gill Poole hand out pencils to local childrenProject Leader Barry Pollard visits some of the micro loan recipientsLady and her grandson in the Panchamul ValleyEn-route to the Higher Secondary School at RapakotPanchamul Village and the local bus – quite an experience!Local man loads logs onto the bus en-route to Daraun villageRotarian team members ‘showered’ in buckets of cold water whilst staying with their Nepalese host familiesThe canteen at Panchamul SchoolMany of the villagers still cook on open fires in the kitchen. The traditional dish being prepared here is Dahl Bhat
