Photo gallery: Nepal’s dedicated staff
When the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April, and a heavy aftershock rattled the east of the country three weeks later, many of the LWF national staff were affected as well. Their houses were damaged, children and elderly parents left in vulnerable situations. Still, within hours of the quake an emergency team was in the office preparing to give aid to others. In the midst of insecurity and temporary living arrangements, all LWF staff reported to the office to help others.
These are their stories.
Photos by Lucia de Vries and C. Kästner, LWF
3 June 2015
Amrit Sunwar was at a church service when the quake happened. His house collapsed. His elderly parents, as well as his wife and son, now live in temporary shelter. “Providing relief is one of LWF’s main jobs,” he says. “This is the time when we can truly contribute to the needy.”
Driver, Anita Rana Magar, was on a distribution in Sindhupalchowk when the second quake hit. Her car was ambushed by angry people who wanted to loot the relief goods, and was later blocked by a landslide. “After that I feel every other job is easy,” she says.
Because their house was damaged, kitchen helper Bishnu Maya and her family now live in a tent along the Patan Ring Road, Kathmandu. She was at the office again only a few days after the earthquake, cooking midday meals for up to 100 staff and volunteers. “Being here with my friends helps me to relax,” she says.
After her apartment was damaged by the earthquake, Nisha Kharel and her mother moved in with distant relatives and slept on the floor with 40 to 50 other people for a week. Yet, she helped LWF Nepal hire 18 new staff and recruit hundreds of volunteers. “For the first time in my life I felt I knew what it means to be a refugee,” she says.
More than 100 volunteers have put their studies or work aside to assist the LWF Nepal team. They help pack relief goods in the Kathmandu office or assist with distributions in nearby districts.
The disaster has created a strong bond among the LWF Nepal team members. “We are more than family now,” says one member. The LWF has to date provided 15,000 households with relief goods.
