Manav Sadhna has teamed with local organizations in Nepal to rebuild 300 homes. If you want to contribute to the rebuilding of homes in Bakultar and Ranipani please click on the Donate button
After donating please send an e-mail to rebuildnepal@manavsadhna.org to let us know how and how much you donated so that we can track it.
Manav Sadhna would like to build 300 homes in Devbhumi Baluwa, Nepal. We have a number of local partner organizations in Nepal and have established a good relationship with the local people. The cost for building 1 house is INR 2.5 Lakh ($4,000 USD). The cost for the total project is INR 7.5 Crore ($1.2 million USD). We are requesting your help with this project to rebuild homes and lives in Nepal. Any amount of donation will help. For example INR 8000 ($126) will buy 10 bags of cement, which is a crucial component in earthquake resistant homes. If you would like to adopt one home, please contact us at rebuildnepal@manavsadhna.org
During the morning of April 25th, a 7.8 Richter scale earthquake violently shook most of Nepal into devastation.
Thousands of lives were lost and many more were seriously affected. According to various reports,the death
toll is more than 8,000 people and counting; the destruction has left more than 2.8 million people displaced.
On May 12th, a second earthquake measuring 7.3 in magnitude hit the country, intensifying the amount of
destruction and escalating the fear of the people. However, the series of earthquakes and aftershocks was
just the beginning. The monsoon is on its way, which will increase the chances of spreading disease as well as
possibly cause landslides and impassable roads, which would slow down current relief efforts.
With the guidance of the Dhulikel Hospital, we identified Devbhumi Baluwa village as the locality to focus our
work. Devbhumi Baluwa is a scenic village set in the foothills of the Himalaya located 50 km East of Kathmandu
in the Kavre District of Panchkal Municipality. Here we identified two clusters to focus our rehabiltation
efforts: Ranipani and Bakhultar, consisting of a total of 310 homes. Although the human mortality rate in this
area was zero, the majority of the homes have been completely reduced into mounds of rubble, while the
surviving structures have been damaged beyond repair and are completely inhabitable
Manav Sadhna felt called to serve our brothers and sisters in Nepal as soon as the disaster struck. Although
there is plenty of need in Ahmedabad itself, calamities of this nature pause life entirely for those affected. It is
our humble experience that a little love and support can go a long way in such critical times. Also, the cultural
similarities between India and our Nepalese neighbor enable us to serve in a meaningful and responsible
way. We are also blessed to have strong team dynamics and support within the organization, allowing some
to serve in Nepal as others balance the work in Ahmedabad.
The communities of Bakultar and Ranipani observe sustainable practices such as farming for sustenance,
utilizing bio-gas mechanisms, and practicing small scale animal husbandry, largely for personal needs such
as milk and eggs. The wealthier families deal in commercial agriculture while the lower income families
often work as wage laborers on the other farms. As nearly every family has one member working (often
as laborers) and/or studying abroad in countries such as Malaysia, Japan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc,
remittance is a large source of earnings. There are also more than five locally organized cooperatives that
focus on savings and small loans. The households are organized around community water taps, connected to
a larger tank. The villagers currently have access to potable water.
The Dhulikhel Hospital has established a well-functioning outreach clinic in the area for primary health care
needs. After the earthquake, the clinic has been witnessing more sprains, lacerations, diarrheal conditions
and psychological issues in addition to the typical range of acute and chronic diseases.
The immediate need remains durable temporary shelters to protect against the expected monsoon in June.
In addition to shelter for the families, they require refuge for their animals, the incoming harvest, personal
belongings they have salvaged, and for any surviving brick. The locals mostly build homes with unbaked bricks,
which would not endure the rains if left exposed. At this point, each family is trying to retrieve whatever
building materials they can and are reusing them to assemble temporary shelters. The locals have the skills to
do so and the process of building temporary housing has positively engaged the families in activity. However,
they require additional materials to construct sturdy shelters; otherwise the rains will lead to further loss and
illness. The April 25th and May 12th earthquakes coupled with the endless aftershocks have really disturbed
the confidence of the people, especially the children. Another immediate and ongoing need is emotional and
psychological support to help people completely heal from the trauma.
Long-term Rehabilitation: The people of Nepal and Devbhumi Baluwa are extremely diligent and resourceful;
however, most do not have the financial means or the skills to rebuild their homes in way that would provide
safety against any further calamities. Many families are planning to use recovered materials to reconstruct
their homes after the monsoon. In the mean time, people are replacing the traditional three-storied home
with a single-story retrofit design. Although this temporary solution may offer slightly more durability than
the traditional home, it is an unadvisable option. At the most basic level, the homes require mortar between
the concrete and bricks; however, for real security, the houses need reinforcements incorporated into the
local design.
Based in a tranquil corner of the Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Manav Sadhna (MS) has
been working for the upliftment of underprivileged children and slum communities for the last 25 years.
Although our core objectives include value-based education, nutrition, healthcare and community building,
we have served in the aftermath of several natural disasters. Our experience includes the reconstruction and
rehabilitation of a village after the 2001 Kachchh earthquake, software relief and rehab of a fisherman village
post the 2004 Tsunami and rehabilitation efforts around Netala after the 2013 floods and cloud bursts in
Uttarakhand. Our intention and expertise is always to connect with the people at the ground level, offer our
support and serve according to their needs.
The MS Nepal team, consisting of 10 volunteers, arrived in Kathmandu on the evening of May 6th. After
assessing the aftermath of the earthquake and visiting a few affected areas suggested by our local partners,
we identified Bakultar and Ranipani of Devbhumi Baluwa Village. On May 9th we set up base camp in Ranipani,
next to the Dhulikhel Outpatient Center and stayed there for 10 days.
For the first few days we connected with the people, supporting them in this time of crises and better
understanding both the immediate and long term needs. Our activities included helping families to clear rubble
and locate possessions, spending quality time playing and interacting with the children, comprehensively
mapping the two clusters, conducting a thorough demographic survey as well as an architectural survey. We
also supported the medical services of the Dhulikhel Outreach Center with collegial support and additional
medicines. As all of the families were engaged in building temporary housing to prepare for the onset of
monsoon, we decided to source and distribute galvanized steel sheets for roofing. We had also carried
tarpaulin and blankets from India. We sourced the remaining requirements of tarpaulin and food packets
from local organizations focused on relief work. During our last two days we organized community distribution
of these materials, which was largely facilitated by a local committee. We had motivated the community to
form a local committee with representation from both clusters to assist in the distribution of these materials
and to also actively participate in subsequent activities including potential reconstruction of homes.
An esteemed architect and engineer joined us from Gujarat to understand the local architecture, lifestyle
and available building materials in order to conceive locally appropriate, sustainable, earthquake resistant
housing designs.
MS has a subsequent team heading to Devbhumi Baluwa in the second week of June to continue relationshipbuilding
with the community. In addition to working with the local committee to finalize housing designs, the
MS team will be helping clear rubble, continuing medical support, working closely with the children, focusing
on hygiene and sanitation, and providing moral support. We will also continue to provide relief materials
based on the feedback of the villagers.
A safe, earthquake proof house that follows the local Nepali architecture was designed by Hiren Patel Architecs (HPA), a top Gujarati architect and Anviksha structural design. Click here for a detailed description of the structural design
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Dhulikhel Hospital is an independent, not for profit, non-government institution that provides cost effective, compassionate and quality health care services in Nepal. It is also the university hospital for all the medical programs running in collaboration with Kathmandu University. |
![]() | Chaudhary Group (CG) - One of Nepal's leading business houses; a multi-industrial, transnational conglomerate that inculdes over 40 businesses, spanning five continents |
![]() | Sugam Parivahan Ltd - a leading transportation and logistics service provider with a presence in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh of over 60 years. |
![]() | The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) - A representative body of the industrial community of Nepal that serves as a platform to address the issues they face. |
![]() | Hiren Patel Architects (HPA) - an Ahmedabad-based architecture firm working in areas with experience in grassroots, community-centered design. |
![]() | Jankalyan Pratishthan, Nepal-Ekal Vidyalay - A non-profit organization dedicated to brining education (as Ekal Vidyalay) and village development in rural Nepal. |
![]() | The Spa Group - An industrial group that has been involved in Nepal for decades. |
![]() | YUVA Unstoppable -an India-based youth voluntary movement for the welfare of the underprivileged |
One of the key partners in this initiative is the local committee comprised of representatives from Bakultar, Ranipani, Manav Sadhna and Dhulikhel Hospital. This committee will act according to the needs, thoughts and feedback of the community. |
We are working towards a second phase which would include a potential model village. Click here to see a draft-concept.
To contact Manav Sadhna, please e-mail us at rebuildnepal@manavsadhna.org or write to us at: "Manav Sadhna, inside Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad Gujarat, India 380027" or call +91 96 87 661061