“To brother Lama, in the hope that there will never be another Special Edition…
Love,
Sega brother”
These are the words I wrote on a Special Edition copy I took to Nepal a year after the disaster that hit the country on the 25th of April 2015.
I came back to give some more love and happy to brother Lama and his family from your behalf, the Special Edition proceeds.
To reach Hasantar, the village of brother Lama, was quite a challenge. The road up on the hill dominated by the Yellow Monastery is still impossible to travel by car, so Ishak, one of the sons-in-law of brother Lama, offered me a ride with his bike.
Brother Lama was there, waiting for me, with a larger than life smile on his face. His smile was in contrast with the surroundings. The houses of his brothers, Gulav and Robin, were gone and in their place were standing the temporary shelters built with your help.
When the construction experts sent by the Government finally arrived in the village of the Yellow Monastery and told the elder brother the verdict, Gulav didn’t cry nor pulled his hair. Life doesn’t end when “the house is 65% destroyed and demolition is required.” So Gulav put down his house, levelled the ground and surrounded it with the stones remaining from his former house. Thanks to you, now he’s cultivating rice and lives peacefully together his wife in a temporary metallic shelter, waiting for the government to start implementing the national reconstruction program – if there will be any.
Robin, the younger brother, was there too. After the earthquake he returned to Nepal from Qatar, where he worked many years as a driver. During his short winter holiday of 2014, brother Lama hired brother Robin as a porter for our first group of adventurers in Nepal and we all were thinking that he might have been a better driver than a porter. Well, brother Robin is now back for good, no plans to go back to be a driver in Qatar. He plans to be a taxi driver in Nepal. In order to get the taxi driver licence, he was tested twice. The first time he failed the theoretical test. Second time, the drive test. But he’s pretty determined to succeed the third time.
Brother Robin shares with brother Gulav the temporary metallic shelter, with common lobby and kitchen, living in two spacious rooms with his wife and his soon. They are very happy to have a solid roof above their heads. The old house of brother Robin is gone too. Construction experts recommended demolition.
While Baba, brother Lama’s wife, served me a big plate of dal bhat, the delicious Nepali traditional food, brother Lama pulled a small copybook out of his pocket and started to tell me, methodically, where all the money went.
Many benefited from the nearly 12.000 USD we managed to collect during the crisis and afterwards, through the Special Edition (only 650 USD so far). These people are relatives of brother Lama and also porters brother Lama usually works with, all of them being severely affected by the earthquake: cracked or broken houses, broken limbs, other injuries to be treated, lack of food and clothes. All are living in the hill area, in higher places such as Madhepat or Dagalthok (not sure if I spelled correctly), difficult to reach by car. The efforts of various NGOs and Government were concentrated on Dhading and Sindhupalchowk, the most affected places, and no officials took care of the people in other parts of Nepal, pretty much affected as well.
After assessing the situation, brother Lama decided to buy food, immediate necessities and light construction materials, bringing the goods to those in need and also adding a fair amount of cash, ranging from 50 USD to 650 USD, depending on the urgency or gravity of the situation. For some of them, brother Lama managed to built several temporary simple shelters, using metal or tarpaulin sheets fixed on bamboo structures.
Here’s the whole story, as it was unfolding, documented in 17 episodes:
- Help Lama. Help Nepal. Donate Now.
- Storm Is Coming.
- The First Supporters.
- Our Support Group Is Growing.
- Over-whelmed.
- Tents.
- Possible. Why Not?
- Day #1: Pullbharidhara.
- Day #2: Hasantar Village.
- Day #3: Thamel.
- Friendship & Hardship.
- Giving Thanks for Giving Love.
- Namaste in Nepal. Special Edition.
- Accident.
- For a New Home.
- Giving Love Giving Happy to Those in Need.
- Our Thoughts Are with You.
With your outstanding support and brother Lama’s determination, nearly 50 families could saw some hope. Not a big one, but one that makes a huge difference in such difficult times. Cheena Lama, Chandra Lama, Chandra Lama, Shiburi Lama, Shaili Lama, Maili Lama, Joshna Lama, Kayla Dai, Kapila, Suvatra Lama, Raju Lama, Ram Maya, Kancha Bhai, Shanti, Urmila, Thulo Kancha, Songeeta, Raut, Songeeta 2, Ujeli, Dhiraj, Sajaya, Sapana, Manisha, Samiti, Deepika Rai, Sita Rai, Sushma Rai (not that Sushma), Makhamali, Prya, Asmita, Shanti, Kali, Sonu, Surmila Rai, Anjana, Mukhi, Sosmita, Jeti, Punte Rai, Man Bahadur Rai, Jeet Bahadur Thapa, Phurba Lama, Dawa Sherpa, Ram Kumari Lama, Robin Lama, Gulav Lama, Ishak Lama and, of course, our brother Lama send you derai dhanyabad – lots of thanks – and Namaste! for your great help.
A year ago, right after the terrible earthquake that shook Nepal, you showed your big heart giving love & giving happy to our brother Lama and his family in need… This love and this happy we want to give now back to you.