Almost 11 months have gone by since two catastrophic earthquakes struck Nepal in April and May 2015, causing immense casualties and devastation, destruction of homes and collapse of infrastructure. Thanks to the kind and generous support of sponsors around the world, Live to Love International, together with many on-ground partners and volunteers, has been able to carry out immediate and ongoing relief work for the earthquake victims, bringing love to them when it is most needed and helping them to heal and recover from the calamities.

So far Live to Love has completed the foundations and structures of over 200 earthquake-resistant homes in nine remote villages in Ramkot (Naya Gay, Phokri Dalda, Cheso Pani, Havaldar Basti, Kala Bari, Tin Gar Banjang, Tusal, Dada Gay and Adisor), providing shelter for over 1,000 people. In addition, 11 community halls have been constructed in five districts with each hall housing over 100 people as well as functioning as a classroom.

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Report on Live to: Aid For NepalHelp Us, Help Nepal

200 Earthquake- resistant homes built

11 Community hallsconstructed

In 9 remote villages in Ramkot

In 5 districts

Over

1,000 people provided with shelter

Over 100people housed in functioning classrooms

One example was Saili Tamang’s family in Ramkot, whose family was one of the first families among the ones in the nine villages to receive a home with an earthquake-safe steel frame and foundation. Her former family home was reduced to rubble, all that remained was the door frame that once welcomed visitors.

Divided into teams, the Live To Love on-the-ground volunteers ventured out to distribute relief supplies to many villages, and shared love and moral support with the villagers wherever they visited. These places included: Dolakha and Ramechhap (Teams A & E), Dhading (Team C) and Yolmo in Helambu (Team D).

After traveling a long distance to Rasuwa district, one of our Live To Love relief teams (Team B) managed to carry out their commitment of distributing rice, salt, cooking oil, tents, blankets and medical aid to 2000 families of 10,000 victims, covering Dunche, Haku, Syapru Besi, Thuman, amidst the second mega earthquake on 12 May 2015, and the many aftershocks and risk of landslides. Some 700 families even came from mountainous Gatlang to pick up the supplies.

The early phase of the relief work also included airlifting several victims out of collapsed buildings in Tatopani, one of the most remote and worst hit areas of Sindupalchowk region, so that they could receive immediate medical attention. Working with the local Sengdrak Shabchu Committee, Live To Love made a preliminary donation of NPR 5 million for aid and rebuilding in the region.

Immediately after the first earthquake on 25 April 2015, Live to Love International, in coordination with Live to Love Nepal, rallied over 400 volunteers including monks and nuns of the Drukpa Order to set out in teams with tents, food, medicine and to bring hope and relief to remote villages on the outskirts of Kathmandu where access to central aid was limited. These worse hit areas included Ramkot, Nawalpur and Tatopani in Sindhupalchowk District. Most of the journeys had to be made on foot due to the collapse of roads and the danger of landslides from aftershocks. For quite a while, Live to Love remained the sole deliverer of aid to thes e remote villages where volunteers were met by weeping villagers upon their arrival.

“We transported our relief supplies to the villages on foot. These villages were in remote areas. Nobody was up to going there. Aid organisations which started out had to return halfway.”

— Yeshe Lhamo, Coordinator of Live To Love Nepal

Facing countless aftershocks and landslides, Live to Love volunteers often had to abandon their jeeps and trucks and transport the relief aid on foot. “We transported our relief supplies to the villages on foot. These villages were in remote areas. Nobody was up to going there. Aid organisations which started out had to return halfway. However, we (some nuns and monks) went there on foot with all the relief supplies. The people were very happy to see us because we were the first relief teams who made it up there” said Yeshe Lhamo, the coordinator of Live To Love Nepal, who has been organizing the relief efforts from the Live To Love base camp located at the monastery of the Druk Amitabha Mountain, which was also partly destroyed by the earthquakes. She continued: “Again and again we heard that we were the first who came to help. That encouraged us to do more and it was touching to see them so happy.”

— Extracted from the article “With Compassion Everything is Possible”

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Michelle Yeoh, internationally acclaimed actor and producer, and Live To Love Global Ambassador, arrived in Nepal in mid-May to join the ongoing relief work undertaken by Live To Love volunteers on the ground.

She joined actively in the distribution of relief supplies in the remote village of Thaple (near Ramkot) in Kathmandu and encouraged the villagers to stay strong as well as appealing to international communities to be committed to the long-term restoration and sustainable rebuilding of Nepal.

Michelle also launched the construction of community halls, a project in collaboration with on-ground partners such as the Panchakanya Group and the Drukpa Kung Fu Nuns, to provide dry shelter for large number of earthquake victims before the onset of the monsoon season. The launch and ground-breaking ceremony was attended by the Honorable Finance Minister of Nepal, Dr. Ram Saran Mahat and Mr. Pradeep Kumar Shrestha, Vice President of Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry. They lauded the prompt response efforts made by Live To Love. Members of Tzu Chi Foundation also came to support the programme.

Susan Sarandon, Academy award winning actor and Live To Love Messenger of Light, also came to Nepal in late May to join the relief work by visiting the remote village of Bhirkot to help hand out relief supplies and share love with local children and their families.

She inaugurated the first large-scale home rebuilding project in Nepal after the mega earthquakes. The target was to build 201 earthquake and wind resistant homes for sheltering 1000 people throughout nine villages in Ramkot. The homes, engineered to meet international standards, will be built in collaboration with the individual Nepali families so as to engage them in realizing the Live To Love philosophy to celebrate and empower local culture.

By end of July 2015, structures of 166 homes have been fabricated and installed for the nine selected villages in Ramkot, with 11 community halls in five other districts were under construction. By December 2015, Live To Love completed 200 earthquake resistant home foundations / structures in the nine villages.

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Well aware of the fact that tourism is the economic lifeline of Nepal with the country’s unique cultural heritage and identity, Live To Love sees the restoration of landmark heritage sites as critical during the phase of reconstruction.

Hence, Live To Love pledged NPR 5 million to help restore Devadharma Mahavihara, the 300-year old heritage site wrecked by the earthquakes at Swayambhunath, the 2000 years old landmark of spirituality. Its restoration brings hope and inspiration to the people of Nepal.

Live To Love distributed 500 solar lamps, donated by a Hong Kong charity, to earthquake victims who live in tents and scrap sheds with no electricity for lights.

In November 2015, Live To Love Nepal joined hands with Drukpa Nepal in “A Walk to Remember Nepal”, led by Gyalwa Dokhampa, in an effort to bring hope and concrete support to the worst hit areas of Sindhupalchok. More than 200 Live To Love Nepal volunteers and followers of the Drukpa Order joined this 8-day walk covering 450km and traversing through some of the most devastated areas in Sindhupalchowk such as Thimbu, Milarepa Nye, Sermathang, Gangyul, Baruwa and Chautara. The participants distributed relief aid to help local communities to rebuild their lives and restore schools and their cultural heritage. Prayers for the deceased were also conducted as per the wishes of the local communities. The walking programme reminded us that the Nepal earthquake may be a piece of old news, but more than one million people and families are still homeless and struggling to rebuild their lives.

Nepal’s rebuilding is an ongoing process. Live To Love is committed to nurturing and supporting the process with a long-term goal in mind together with concerted help from local volunteers and organisations, and international communities. Please continue to help us, help Nepal by supporting Live to: Aid for Nepal. And stay tuned to our news and updates on Facebook: Live To Love International.

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Live to Love International will be hosting a “NY to Nepal” earthquake relief walk April 24, 2016 in New York city to raise support and awareness for continuing sustainable relief for Nepal.

With Compassion Everything is Possible.