A family from Ramechhap helps fellow villagers

A local Sherpa family, originally from Bamti Bhandar VDC, wasted no time in carrying out relief operation. A family from Ramechhap helps fellow villagers

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After the second major aftershock of May 12—which measured 7.3 in the moment magnitude scale and had its epicentre between Dolakha and Sindhupalchok—caused substantial damage in eastern Ramechhap, a local Sherpa family, originally from Bamti Bhandar VDC, wasted no time in carrying out relief operation. The family sent supplies to Bamti on a helicopter and in trucks from Kathmandu, ensuring that none of the villagers were deprived of basic essentials.

A total of 2,500 tents, 100 sacks of rice (three tons), 55 boxes of oil (550 litres), sanitary napkins and energy bars have been supplied, so far, through two helicopter trips and four trucks.

Head of the Lama family and social worker Ang Chhering Lama has been leading the relief distribution work in the field while Director of Sherpa School, Bamti Bhandar, Nuri Lama has been coordinating and taking care of the logistics. According to the team, all of the 700 households in the village have been provided with aid, benefitting about 6,500 residents.

“These are underprivileged people we are talking about, and they have not seen any government support yet,” said Youton Lama Sherpa, who has been arranging the shipment of materials from Kathmandu. “As we hail from the area and have the resources, we thought we should take up the responsibility to help the locals in our hometown.”

Lakpa Lama Sherpa has been coordinating with both local and international organisations like the BCC UK, World Light Foundation, Help Nepal and Naya Yuwa. Pasang Lama from Texas and Pasang Lama Sotarnu from New York have also provided funds to purchase supplies. “Bamti is a 14-hour drive from Kathmandu and the looming monsoon and accompanying landslides threaten to cut off the village from road access and communication,” she said. “We have to act fast.”

All of the houses in Bamti have suffered structural damage, rendering a majority of the residents homeless. Neighbouring villages of Bhuji, Preeti and Kubukasthali have also sustained similar damage and the Lama Sherpa family want to extend their support to these areas as well. “More funds are being collected so that nobody is left unattended,” said Dawa Jangmu Shrestha Lama, who is also a family member. According to her, people are living in dire straits and, more than anything else, there is an immediate requirement for tents.

Shrestha said that more than Rs 4.6 million has been spent in buying and supplying relief so far. The personal initiative of the family has provided some relief to the inhabitants of the area, but they are pressing for the need of the government’s immediate attention as they believe that this is not something that a single family can do.