Annual Report of the schools visited by us
17th November 2015
The first bright spot on our trip is the orphanage in Lhubu. The destruction is not that grave and the repairs have almost been finished except for the garden walls. We have an impression that can be described as 100% positive. But on our way to Sangachok the first shock: the school in Sukute, which had been opened the previous year, has almost been destroyed completely. The ground floor stands alone on its concrete pillars, there are no walls or furniture left. We hope it can be repaired soon and cost savingly.
The main purpose of our voyage was the opening of the school house in Gairimudi in the District of Dholaka. The building - undestroyed and freshly painted - looks down on the valley. The seamy side is the village itself: At the time of the laying of the foundation stone of the school there were nearly 600 houses which had been built in the typical manner of the ‘Tamang-people’. Now, after the earthquake they are mostly emergency accommodations made of bamboo and iron sheets. Not a single one of the original beautiful houses has been left in one piece. The gratefulness of the people is overwhelming. For two days we have celebrated with young and old inhabitants the first party after the earthquake.
But the joy doesnt last long: On our way to Sangachok nearly every house is destroyed. The place on which the school for 1000 children once stood looks like Ground Zero. There are only some concrete pillars left, nothing else. The students are meanwhile taught in huts made of bamboo and iron sheets. We spend two nights on this place with mixed feelings: Nobody wants to spend time here. Dawa, our guide, tries to find something better, but it is impossible. Each flat square of soil has been used by aid organizations or as storage yard for debris. So we have no choice but to stay there. For us it means a discomfort for two nights, for the inhabitants this is a continuative reality!
If you look west you can see a hill with a flat cap. On the one side there is a giant Bodhi tree. This is the only testimony of our ‘Gerlinde and Ralf School’ in Thulosirubari. Nothing else has been left of the three storage building. 520 children have to be taught in emergency accommodations. On our way to Chautara we pass the Irkhu-School. It stands firm as a rock and with a few reparations the ‘red dot’ marking destroyed buildings can be removed.
In Chautara nobody knows what to do: The two surveys made by stress analysts don’t give a precise result. As long as there are no clever suggested solutions of the school community there will be no answer if we have to tear the school down or if we have to renovate it cost-intensively. We inspect the building and see a severely damaged corner post and stairs which only hang between the floors. And many many cracks! We hope that the blind and healthy children can soon return into their building, but unfortunately it might take approximately 2-3 years till this will be reality!
With mixed feelings we go on to Mailchaur. Here it is certain: There is no hope that we can renovate the building! The complete ground floor has been destroyed and all bearing posts are folded or broken.
The next visit leads us to the ‘Lowa-School’ of Michael and Michaela Rebele. Everything is new, there is no destruction. There is a new and picturesque path from Irkhu to the Son Koshi River. 3 to 5 hours of comfortable hiking through original Nepalese langscape. We take the opportunity to pass by our schools in Mulkharka and Khadambas. The first stop is the ‘Peter Habeler School’ in Mulkharka. The building is intact except of a few cracks in the walls and one destroyed attic wall.
Just the reverse in Khadambas: the eastern part doesnt exist anymore. The newer part looks quite undamaged in the first floor. The ground floor needs some more repairs. The community has to give instructions and after that the repairs can be done.
Our conclusion: the situation changes between hope and hopelessness. As always the weakest are the one who suffer the most. Should the government give us its OK, we Lichteneggers will be there to start with the repairs of the damaged projects.