Local Women to Drive Construction of Larpak Model Village

Championed by Melbourne-based business personality Shesh Ghale, NRNA (Non-Resident Nepali Association) is finally ready to actually lead the construction of 600-plus homes to be built at the village of Laprak in Nepal. This is the first time Nepal has seen a mass construction of homes at the scale of the internationally-coordinated model village to be constructed at Larpak.

“Per wish of the people of Laprak and non-resident Nepali community, the government has made a fresh decision by doing away with obstacles that were previously in the way of building the Laprak Model Village,” Mr Ghale said today, adding, “We will go to the village right today and begin work.”

The project, which is being driven by multiple stakeholders including local women in Laprak which lies some 15 kilometres from the Nepal earthquake epicentre, will eventually hand over the ownership of the earthquake-proof homes to the victims.

“No one will be able to take their homes from them,” said Ms Thapa. Therefore, they are closely being involved in the construction process, she noted.

Once complete, the Laprak Model Village may well turn out to be a tourist destination in its own right because it would be a well-developed village in the middle of a difficult terrain but with beautiful lush mountains, the spokesperson for the global body said in a telephone conversation with southasia.com.au.

The village women are so excited at the prospect of owning modern homes that they apparently come down to Besisahar (the headquarters of a neighbouring district) every fortnight to discuss the project.

“There are no men in the village as they have left in search of work since the earthquake. So NRNA is working closely with the local women and elders,” the Sydney-based spokesperson said.