While we may be in for a sweaty summer here in Australia, spare a thought for Nepalese communities who are facing winter head-on after being left shelter-less in the April 2015 earthquake. CARE is reaching out to those most vulnerable, including grandmother Kanchi.
Sitting inside her insulated house, grandmother Kanchi covers herself with a blanket. The temperature in her village of Laprak, Nepal, is falling every day. Her original house was destroyed by the earthquake in April. After the earthquake, she moved into a tent with her neighbours. The onset of winter, however, brought freezing temperatures and monsoon rains, and the flimsy tent did little to keep its occupants safe and warm.
Kanchi is one of the many elderly, single women living alone after being affected by the earthquake. “I am getting old and weak, and there is one to take care of me,” she says. In Nepalese society, the elderly often rely on their sons and daughters to support them. However many have had to leave Nepal due to lack of opportunities to make a living.
“I am just finding a way to get through this life,” said Kanchi of the predicament she found herself in. “I hope this will be over soon.”
Thanks to supporters like you, things are looking up for Kanchi
Recently, thanks to generous CARE donors who support our work, Kanchi was provided with a home that is properly insulated for the extreme Nepalese climate which sees temperatures ranging from below zero to up to forty degrees. She now feels more positive about the future.
“I was worried I would have to continue living in tents during the winter,” confesses Kanchi. “But now I have this house which is very warm.”
For many of the people in Laprak, the biggest worry right now is how to survive the winter season as most of them are living in tents and makeshift housing. Kanchi’s house has become the centre of attention in Kanchi’s remote community as her house is different from traditional houses; it is insulated with foam which protects her from the cold.
“My house is much warmer than any other houses in the village,” says Kanchi. The well-insulated house has helped reduce Kanchi’s painful knee joints. “I was buried inside the rubbles for many hours; my knees were hurt and the cold was making my pain even worse. But now that I have an insulated house and warm blankets my pain has reduced.”
Almost nine months on from the initial earthquake, Nepalese communities still need your help to rebuild. Your donation today can go assist CARE’s long-term recovery work, including activities to help ensure the most vulnerable – like grandmother Kanchi – are kept safe and warm during the Nepalese winter.
