Nepal earthquake school rebuilt
A Nepal community has been boosted in its recovery from last year’s devastating earthquake with the inauguration of its new primary school. Islamic Help and The Mountain Trust launched a major emergency aid and recovery programme following the April 2015 earthquake which measured 7.8 magnitude and claimed at least 8,000 lives.
Jiven Joyti School, in the Gorkha district, was destroyed in the quake. The school, serving the predominantly Chepang community, had 72 pupils.
Islamic Help and TMT launched a project to rebuild the school using the Adobe method, which is twice as resistant to earthquakes as traditional construction methods but more cost effective.
Work on the new four-classroom school began in December 2015 and on 12 June 2016, an official inauguration ceremony was held with local villagers and dignitaries, along with representatives from Islamic Help and TMT.
Kamran Shahid, head of international development at Islamic Help, said: “We have been delighted to partner with The Mountain Trust and we want to congratulate them, their staff and their volunteers for the extraordinary work they have done on the ground in Nepal.
“We hope and pray that this school becomes a beacon of hope, wisdom and knowledge for the local community and we will continue to support TMT and the people of Nepal as they carry on rebuilding their lives.”
The school serves more than 155 local households but the Chepang tribes are regarded as a minority and face struggles against officialdom as well as poverty.
As well as the focus on education through the school reconstruction, IH and TMT have carried out a number of other projects. They include the distribution of winter clothing; a community housing construction programme for 57 households and the provision of materials to at least 100 families to construct semi-permanent homes.
Working with a coalition of charities, Islamic Help was also involved in the distribution of emergency aid to 8,000 beneficiaries in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.
