PK and I spent a few weeks in the fall of 2014 in Nepal with the founder and five members of the Bright Futures Foundation.
BFF is a small non profit that helped build and staff a village clinic and also provided a top notch 12-year education to around 25 kids from impoverished Nepali families. It is safe to say that many of the relationships that developed over the past 14 years, both at the clinic and with families whose children were lifted from poverty, are as tender and enduring as any enjoyed within close-knit families.
Thus it was that news of the recent earthquake was received with anguish. Earthquake victims aren't nameless, faceless masses, but loved ones. The flow of information between BFF, especially founder Catherine Wood, and Nepali people, has been at once healing and heartbreaking.
Below are messages and photos sent from Nepal, as well as pictures taken during happier times.
The following April 30 message was emailed to Catherine Wood by Samip Bhatta, the first student whose education was sponsored by BBF, and directly by Catherine and her husband, Michael. The Woods continued to support Samip as he received his bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering. He now works for an airline in Kathmandu and is dreaming of a master's degree. He calls Catherine "mom" because the bond between them is akin to mother and son.
Catherine asked for a photo, and this is what Samip sent of himself, his parents Anita and Raju and Grandmother. The Bhatta family is back in their home, but life is hard.
Samip's words, April 30, 2015
Mom, everything is getting back to normal and so I'm sorry I couldn't email you on time since we were out of electricity and had no communication.I really can't imagine the day that shook the whole world. I was on my bed, grandmother was watching television and Raju and Anita were on roof to water the plants. Then suddenly we got hit. I was completely blank. I didn't know what to do. I took grandma, then Raju and Anita followed me out of house.
Then it strikes again. This time i can see my house moving as if it is going to touch the ground. We thought this is over and our house is gonna go down. Our eyes were full of tears and we can't speak a single word. But thank god, Mom, nothing happened. But my laptop and cellphone broke into pieces because they had been charging. I asked my parents, it's not safe to stay at home so we headed to the street along with one floor mat. On the street I can see kids crying, families praying for their lives, and people's eyes full of tears .I cannot explain mom, ooh god ......
We just had one floor mat so i asked Grandma to sleep on it. We didn't eat anything expect biscuit and water. No rescue team NO relief. No food. No shelter. Mom, right now my eyes are full of tears. We don't have blanket to put on us .It was cold and it was raining too. We all prayed god, and we actually remembered you and Michael. We chatted and talked and tried to remember good things and actually recalled our times with you. The first night was over.
It's early in the morning , still raining. Could not go back into house to grab some food because it's all wet and walls may fall down, so we just have to satisfy ourselves with water and some biscuit. Everyone is scared. And no food. Nothing. We were so hungry so i decided it's better to go inside and get some bitten rice and water and peanuts and jam. As we were eating, it struck hard again.This time our water tank was destroyed and i can see the leakage on tank.
Mom, just imagine no food no electricity no communication no shelter and no water for four days. But then things got better and we can at least drink water and eat some boiled potatoes.
Mom, everything is so expensive. Even one noodle costs you 50 rupees when actually its price is 15. And the Government is like a stone. They don't care about us.
Right now we are planning to fix the water tank since it's almost out of the roof and we can see some serious holes. We need to replace it. Apart from that everything is fine and don't you worry, mom. Nobody can challenge Nature.
Samip and Catherine Wood, October 2014.
Thank god you are there for us, even your email gives us force. Wanna hug you so tightly, mom.
Your loving son,
Samip
KeshavThapa is BFF's only paid employee, the foundation's liaison with the school and clinic. A Kathmandu resident, he has a master's degree in population studies, an endless capacity for handling myriad details, and a huge loving heart. He has gained the respect of all who know him, and that's saying something. Below he's speaking with BFF sponsors, October 2014.
The email below was written to me. I met Keshav in Nepal in 2002 and we became brother and sister in a two-hour ceremony filled with flowers, food and ritual. "Didi" is a term of endearment. I've lightly edited his email.
Didi, we skipped from mouth of death. It was unimagined events suddenly. At that time we were eating lunch, but suddenly vibrate the home and we quickly run away on the ground and we saw everywhere clouds of dust because many houses were collapsed. Aaryan and Susma were crying. The electric pole was down and telephone lines, electricity line was cut off. So I was not able to call to any one. But after a few hours the mobile started to work so I called to Galaxy. (He lists the people he was able to contact and those he could not, and tells of continuing interruptions in cell service and electricity.)
Fortunately my neighbors helped me to charge the mobile from their inverter so I was able to contact Catherine didi and my mama Karen (Moss) I feel so happy and relieved when I heard from them and I feel that I have people who are loving us from very far.
That night we stayed on the open ground without any shade or food because we could not get anything from our house due to the continuing earthquakes. But soon we made common shade and we feel quite comfort. But then rainfall came so it was unimagined difficult situation. (He tells about contacting people from the Bhotechaur clinic.)
Susma, Keshav, Aaryan
We returned home morning of 29 April, but again that night also have earthquake, but it was 4.2 and less affecting. This morning also have 4.5 earthquake centralized in Kathmandu.
I was just able to rejoin the landline telephone and internet cable. As of today’s news (April 30) around 6000 people died and 14,000 people found injured but still doing rescue in the far area of Sindhupalchowk district where 100 percent of mud houses are collapsed. (The Bhotechaur clinic is in this district.)
I estimate that around 15,000 people have died because many buses, cars and motorcycle were covered by landslides on the roads, so nobody knows how many were there.
Still do not know how many people are in the houses of many parts of Sindhupalchowk district survived because it is very hard to rescue even from helicopter because of rain and clouds in the mountainous area.
School buildings, official buildings are also collapsed in the Sindhupalchow district. My family house in my home village is also collapsed and my nephew and her mother were covered but rescued after three hours. They are OK, no injuries. I heard that the wood (in the house construction) saved them.
Within Kathmandu Valley, all historical temples except Pasupatinath and Krishna Mandir in Patan, collapsed. Historical places and museums are also collapsed.
The government has announced that all schools are closed until 14th of May. Now we are OK. But the possibility of communicable disease is very high because of open defecation by the people who were in the open ground, dead animals etc. Presently we are having water problems rather than food shortage.
Didi we have new life. We are ok because of your prayers and love. Susma and Aaryan are going to Susma's home village because there is no problem there now. I am thinking to go to affected areas with a relief material distribution team.
OK didi I will write you again.
Yours loving, Keshav, Susma and Aaryan
I'm doing OK. The ground still shakes sometimes. There are cracks in my house, I feel so unsafe to stay here. My mother is at my uncle's house. I have asked her to stay there for as long as it takes and not to come back. I went to my school yesterday. We cooked some food and had planned to give it to hungry people who are out of help. Just as we were about to leave I got a call. A good friend had lost both of his parents and his house. So I told my friends that I would be joining the team the next day and headed for the hospital where his parents' bodies were kept.
It was a tragic scene, we took the bodies to Pashupatinath for the cremation ritual. Pre-earthquake posts about Nepal: http://ordinarylife-mk.blogspot.com/2015/02/giving-endless-gift-education.html Feeling the Love in Nepal Fear, the the Truth About Ziplines |
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