How to Rebuild a village in Nepal

by Isha Balla | Sep 30, 2016 | |

Brit Mums is britains biggest collective of lifestyle bloggers and social influencers.  They were recently in Nepal to monitor and see the post-earthquake rebuilding project, organized by the Creasion non governmental organization and supported by Coca-Cola. This post below is an excerpt taken from blog post by creative directior and co-founder of  Brit Mums  named Jennifer Howze. Read the original blog post here.

Jennifer loved the attire of women living in the village. She writes,”Some of the men wear topi, the popular soft Nepali hat. After watching three young girls perform a dance, we hear from a community organiser, who speaks emphatically about the value of the new buildings. She even goes so far to say that for this little community, otherwise unnoticed by the national government, the devastating 2015 earthquake was a blessing in disguise. ”

In less than 18 months, the initiation led by Creasion and supported by Coca-Cola is on its way to rebuild 55 houses destructed the quake last year. The project is also building a new bathhouse for women.

Jennifer loved the concept of building a new bathhouse for village women and even thinks that it will revolutionize the life of village women in Nepal. She further adds, “The bathhouse, called a padhero, serves three purposes. By giving the women a communal building to wash clothes, it provides fellowship and support, a place where they can come share their problems with others while also washing clothes.”

The padhero also gave women a private space to bathe and thus can make them feel more secured. It will even avoid the unnecessary hassle of walking 30 mins to fetch water and will save time and energy. The Creasion project also aims to facilitate toilet facilites in school, especially for girls who often take leaves when they start menstruating.

Jennifer acknowledged the fact that local women were actively participating in the rebuilding process and were even taught about making a brick. She writes ,”By involving the villagers in the project and creating a sustainable economic structure moving forward, this project demonstrates localism at its best.Villagers have given input to the architect so the houses suit their needs. It’s these activities that will make the project a success, serve as a model for other villages, with the bricks sold to support the village and the larger project.  “