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By Kate Schecter
Last week, heavy rains hit Nepal and the Sindhupalchok District was devastated. Flooding has been unprecedented. Homes, bridges and livestock were swept away. Many of those who have lost homes are sleeping in community centers. While masks are worn, this forced density raises additional risks for villages that had been recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The municipality and relief agencies are providing immediate aid to Sindhupalchok in the form of food, blankets and other urgent needs. One of the major reasons the flood relief aid reached the Gufadanda community In Sindhupalchok so quickly is that the community had prepared for just such a disaster. World Neighbors (WN) has been working with this community since 2015 and we helped them focus on disaster risk reduction including initiating close ties with the local government. When we initiated our program in 2015, right after the earthquake, the Gufadanda community was devoid of any external support including the local government – the community was not aware of their right to receive government development support, nor did the local government know how to reach this tiny community. There was no linkage between the two. Along with other development activities, WN helped the community become aware of their rights and the importance of approaching the ward and municipality offices with their development agendas. As a result, the community was successful in building a strong suspension bridge, a community hall, an irrigation canal, and a road to their villages. Because of the relationship building, Gufadanda was quick to inform the emergency services of their situation and their need for immediate relief support. A once unknown community is now well recognized.
Once aid is distributed, and the crisis is over, that is not the end of the story. It is just the beginning. Restoring everything to the way it was will not be easy. The challenge is to build back in a way that increases the capacity for long-term income and wealth generation in these hard-hit villages.
The good news is, as noted above, Gufadanda and other communities in Sindhupalchok have done it before.
Like many villages in Nepal, Gufadanda was nearly devastated by the 2015 earthquake.
Villagers were struggling to maintain a subsistence level of income and nutrition. Working with a local partner, we started trainings in agriculture, health and sanitation, public advocacy and more.
After six years of putting the trainings into practice, Gufadanda Gaukhet was a thriving community--
• After construction of a suspension bridge in 2018, 19 children from eight households started going to school. The community also worked with the government to obtain a new road and community center.
• All families had built new houses.
• Families had diversified their crops from rice, corn, local green leaf and beans.They were growing additional produce and varieties of rice, corn, and beans; as well as cow peas, radishes, broad leaf mustard, cauliflower, tomatoes, water cress, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, garlic, onions, chili, bananas, mangos and mandarins.
• As a result, nutritional variety and quality had greatly increased. In 2015, it was common for families to eat only one type of vegetable. With training about nutrition and the cultivation of new crops, by this year, families were eating legumes, green vegetables, fruits, fish and meat. Child malnutrition had been greatly reduced.
• In 2015, farmers often spent hours a day traveling to and from the jungle to gather grass and tree fodder. The community established its own fodder "garden" of ipilipil, bhatmase, mendola and other local grass. This reduced jungle visits by 80%.The "extra" time was often devoted to food production, trainings and other activities that increase incomes.
• All farmers participated in livestock management training. As a result, livestock diseases had been treated with a 99% recovery rate with almost zero animal deaths. Meat production had increased, improving nutrition and adding significant income.
• Women's reproductive health improved. Women were comfortable consulting professionals and openly discussing reproductive issues during group meetings.
• Families had received training about government development programs and advocacy methods. The community was in continuous contact with local officials about resources that would further accelerate development.
Gufadanda's destruction by the 2015 earthquake was traumatic.So was this month's flooding. But the community's previous experience rebuilding lives and livelihoods gives it the tools, experience, and relationships it needs to build back quicker and even better this time. The same is true of other communities in Sindhupalchok.While this has been a terrible trauma, these communities are resilient. I have no doubt the villages with which we work will strive even harder to regain recent losses and create even better lives for their families and communities.
Kate Schecter is President and CEO of World Neighbors, which works with communities in 13 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean on lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and disease.
