Category: Nepal

by Dale Dodge, WNC Director
(Appeared as letter-to-the-editor, local media)

World Neighbours Canada (WNC) is a small Non Government Organization (NGO) based in Oliver since 1989. We do basic village development work in Central America, in West Africa and in Nepal. The area we work with in Nepal is called the district of Ramechhap, and has long been one of the poorest districts of Nepal.

Continue reading “Over $45,000 donated through WNC for Nepal”

World Neighbours Canada directors learned today that the BC Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) has awarded their 2015 International Leadership Award to Tamakoshi Sewa Samiti (Tamakoshi Service Society, TSS), the WNC partner organization in Nepal. What exciting news!

Salamat Alieva, Program Officer for BCCIC writes:    “Being nominated by a peer organization for such an award is one of the highest honours which can be bestowed on an organization. BCCIC is very pleased to be awarding this prize to TSS via World Neighbours Canada Society.“

Salamat continues, ” This award invites a TSS representative to attend BCCIC’s Annual General Meeting in September 2015 as the key note speaker. BCCIC will fund international travel and related expenses and  is also able to fund a public engagement tour around BC.

We, of World Neighbours Canada, look forward to having Suresh Shrestha, travel to BC this fall to speak about the work of TSS and World Neighbours Canada’s involvement in that work. In light of all the recent turmoil that Suresh Shrestha, the villagers in the province of Ramechhap, and the people of Nepal have been dealing with, it will be an especial thrill for the directors of World Neighbours to to welcome Suresh and hear firsthand about the reconstruction projects that will be in progress by that time. We’ll keep you posted about the details of his speaking engagements.

posted by Judy Gray; a link to the youtube video: Khinnu – earthquake by Dev Kumar Sunuwar

To better understand and visualize what has been happening in Ramechhap, you may wish to click on the link below to watch a youtube video of the effects of the April 25th earthquake in the area where World Neighbours Canada has been providing support for many years. Ramechhap is also where your donation dollars are going; and TSS (Tamakochi Sewa Samiti) is using the local District Disaster Relief Committee’s data to help with distributing supplies where they are most urgently needed. The youtube video was created by Dev Sunuwar and though, not in English,  the subtitles clearly explain what one is seeing.

 

posted by Judy Gray; with information from Suresh Shrestha

Our latest communication from Suresh has provided details about the second earthquake in the Everest region of Nepal. Here is Suresh’ account of this latest devastation:

“There has been another great shock of earthquake.
1st: 7.3 magnitude at 12.45 pm ~  epicenter Kodari Sindhupalchowk, surrounding district of Ramechhap.
2nd: 5.4 magnitude ~ again epicenter in Kodari.
3rd: 6.3 magnitude ~ epicenter in Ramechhap.
They are all within 2 hours of Ramechhap. We are all safe. I am in Ramechhap, my family are safe in Kathmandu.
This time our two guest houses have been badly damaged in TSS. Due to threat we are treating patients in front of hospital compound.There are already died 3 people, more injury and more damages of houses in Ramechhap.

The earthquake specialist were saying that the big earthquake (of) more than 5.0 magnitude will not come again and not to worry. But it happened again after 17 days. We are very upset.
More later, no electricity here.”

We will update you as we receive news from Suresh; and plan to send a second installment of funds in the near future.

 

posted by Judy Gray, with information from Suresh Shrestha

Yesterday, we received an email from Suresh, letting us know that the initial installment of World Neighbours Canada relief funds had been received and that those monies were being used to buy canvas for tents. At first, Suresh mentioned that materials purchased had to be distributed by the local DDRC (District Disaster Relief Committee) as per Nepali government regulations.

However, this morning Suresh informed us that “the government has just changed the decision, that any organization can distribute themselves with prior approval from DDRC mentioning the type of support and the name of communities. Now we have just yesterday got the village level data of destruction and damage from DDRC. Our next plan is to distribute either tent or rice bag by TSS itself with the approval from DDRC on the basis of completely destroyed and more poor community. As we have limited money we are now thinking to support for rice bag through which we can support to more families, compared to tent supply. But there is still need of the tent by the victims, there is shortage of supply for the tent at present.”

To date, TSS has purchased 50 tents and will use the remaining money to purchase and distribute rice. Your support is clearly, MUCH appreciated, and we will continue to update you, our donors, as we receive information from Suresh.

We have now set up so that you can donate through CanadaHelps.org to World Neighbours Canada and specifically earmark it for Nepal Relief. Just look for the little dropdown menu and select “Nepal Earthquake Relief” instead of “General.”

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/world-neighbours-canada-society/

posted by Judy Gray, with information from Suresh Shrestha

Suresh has continued to update us with information about the situation in the Ramechhap area and the immediate needs of the people.
Here is what Suresh says:

“The victims need the tent & rice for immediate relief. The demand of tent is very high due to massive damages of households all over, but the supply is very limited. Therefore, the government is also unable provide enough tent/tarpaulin.”

Suresh has let us know the costs of a reasonable quality tent/tarpaulin ($50 Can.) and a 50 kg. bag of rice ($25 Can.). A donation of $75 Can. would be sufficient to cover the immediate needs of a family. Continue reading “What $75 can provide”

A request for support, from Suresh, in the earthquake aftermath

posted by Judy Gray, with information from Suresh Shrestha         

As Suresh, of our partner organization in Nepal (TSS) states so clearly in his most recent email, the effects of the recent earthquake are significant in the Ramechhap area. The death toll is, fortunately, quite low, but many many homes have been damaged.

Here is what Suresh says:
“Due to (the) devastating earthquake, over 75% of the houses have been damaged in Ramechhap.  These houses, most of built by mud & stone, are no more suitable to live. The families have been displaced and they are staying in plastic temporary tents. Almost all these families belong to poor and backward. We don’t know whether our government will have enough relief funds for reconstruction and/or renovation of the damaged houses.”

Suresh continues by asking for any support WNC can provide, to be used for food and shelter, until these families can get back on their feet. Continue reading “Help needed for Ramechhap”

 

Impact of Nepal’s earthquake in Ramechhap province 

posted by Dale Dodge, with information from Suresh Shrestha, TSS employee and WNC partner in Nepal

We are lucky to have been receiving emails over the past two days from Suresh in Nepal. The WNC project is east of Kathmandhu, in the province of Ramechhap. Included here are descriptions, in Suresh’s own words, about the devastation in the province and his country. Thankfully, both he and his family are safe!

postings from newest to oldest
Apr. 27 3:11AM
Due to devastating earthquake, over 75% houses have been damaged in Ramechhap.  These houses, most of built by mud & stone, are no more suitable to live. The families have been displaced and they are staying in plastic temporary tent. Almost all these families belong to poor and backward. We don’t know whether our government will have enough relief funds for reconstruction and/or renovation of the damaged houses. Continue reading “Few deaths … many homes damaged”

Creating a new constitution

posted by Dale Dodge, with information from Suresh Shrestha

After 6 years of democratic government, the government of Nepal has been unable to get the job done of writing a constitution.  There are too many parties, too many vested interests, and too little power.  The following is the final question and answer from an interview with Lok Raj Baral, author and political science professor in Nepal.

Question: You touched on many aspects of governance. It will soon be a year since the formation of the government under Sushil Koirala. How would you assess its performance?

Mr. Baral’s response: This government has not done anything; it has been a non-functioning government. It was barely able to even appoint ambassadors. It failed to expedite the constitution and it has not been actively inclusive. It has been a failure. But I would not just blame Sushil Koirala. It was the same during the tenure of Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai.

This is a fault of the system. There is no single-party majority so any government needs to take other parties along with it. So either you need to satisfy your coalition partner or you need a prime minister with the personality to do what needs to be done. But I also don’t know what the alternative is. Furthermore, we are forced to deal with multiple crises at the same time—governance crisis, leadership crisis, constitutional crisis, corruption crisis, etc. And none of the parties abide by their ideologies. The NC is not socialist, the UML is not Leninist-Marxist, and the Maoists are not Maoist. That is why we need a minimum understanding between the major parties.

Harsh words, but echoed in the report sent to us recently by Suresh Shrestha, our TSS partner in Manthali.

Continue reading “The rocky road of political change: Nepal’s challenges”