Bungmati locals witnessed the first ever open air photo/video exhibition organised in their community at Machhindra Bahal in Lalitpur on Sunday. The exhibition, Resilience to Reconstruction,  was jointly organised by Danish Curch Aid (DCA), Bungmati Reconstruction Committee (BRC), Friends Help Group Bungmati and a local NGO, Friends Service Council Nepal, and showcased 45 photos and videos produced by the students from Danish Folk High School Vallekilde Hojskole. The Danish students lived in earthquake affected communities, supported by the Earthquake Emergency Project (EEP) of DCA at Kotdada, Bungmati and Lakuri in Lalitpur for 10 days. They documented the lives of these communities and how the support from DCA has helped them revive their lives and livelihoods in the form of photo stories, videos and interviews, displayed in the exhibition. This exhibition is a lead up to a street festival, Nepal-Pop Up, which will be jointly organised by Vallekilde Folk High school and DCA in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 24. The exhibition is slated to become a celebration of Nepal where the students will show the same pictures, videos and interviews, focusing on the reconstruction work after the earthquake. The fund-raising event will aim to create awareness of Nepal and the situation after a year of the devastating earthquake. The fund collected during the event will be sent back to Nepal for reconstruction works. Co-coordinator of Bungmati Reconstruction Committee, Prem Bhakta Maharjan said that the event will play a pivotal role in attracting the attention of the world, especially Europe, towards Nepal.

“We are grateful to the Danish Students for coming here and putting up such a noteworthy event. The same event in Denmark will attract the attention of the world towards the reconstruction work in Nepal one year after the earthquake. The fund raised in the event will come back to Nepal. We should organise more such events which will help promote Nepal in abroad,” he said. DCA’s Programme Officer Surendra Thapa acknowledged the initiation of DCA in bringing together the community, local authorities and other organisations in the event that showcases the situation in Nepal after the earthquake.  

“The concept of the event is unique. We are not only bringing together the community, local authorities and other organisations, we are targetting to attract the attention of the world in Nepal. Now the focus should be given to sustainable programmes along with reconstruction,” he said.