Yamchet village is home to 700 Dalit ‘Untouchable’ families where 98% homes and ALL water sources were destroyed in the 2015 Earthquake.
They tell us ‘You’re the first to help in 5 years’ None are literate; there is no medicine.
The region has 100s of village clusters like this one; repeating the story.
Everyone has forgotten how many died. They know only the new widows and orphans. Only water matters.
It’s a two day walk up & up, from the last truck stop. It’s one of world’s breath-taking Himalayan panoramas, hiding tragedy.
Home is any scrap-metal sheet, plastic sheet, scavenged wood or stone. Every woman & child’s day is a 3 hr walk to find water
Everything must be carried up narrow mountain side tracks, across suspension bridge, and avalanches. Up and up and up!
The avalanche swept away 2 of their villages - 100 families and animals; and their water supply. Crossing it is still dangerous - imperceptible mountain tremors surface, and suddenly a metre wide ‘river of small rock’ is running down through the avalanche. Stepping into it would be like ‘quick-sand’ taking anyone with it. A village Elder guides our team safely across the ½ mile collapse
It takes 2 days to get the 20 men and women, carrying the materials to the village closest to the new water supply.
It’s 10 ft down under some ‘green vegetation’ discovered growing isolated, among the rubble of the earthquake. This is what we have learned to look for. It indicates a source of water nearby or underneath the green growth. Construction starts, laying the 3,000m pipe line to staged storage tanks, and finally to the green tanks that were carried in; finally supplying water to each family.
Many of you have made this possible. Behind this joy is the bare fact we have to select from ten applications, the most urgent. All are worthy.
We have the manpower, know-how, experience, permission, and an open door, to all of Nepal’s 7 provinces. Every gift we receive creates another opportunity like this.
The Global Pandemic has locked down Nepal, which was totally dependent on India trucking in every antibiotic and pencil. Borders are now closed; quadrupling food prices.
Hanok, our national leader, is inundated with calls for basic provision help. They’re co-ordinating relief in every region through the rural churches.
They need our help and support.
Thank you for all your prayers and help: we are all being changed for an unprecedented opportunity unfolding unseen to us right now.
Vic.
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