Immense progress in reconstruction – visiting projects brings pleasant findings

Claudia Thumann, Roman Meier and Manfred Lindner visited several of NHB projects in November 2016. They wanted to gain a comprehensive insight into the progress of the reconstruction work going on, especially the one of the schools damaged or destroyed by the earthquake in April 2015. The NHB-team also travelled to Nawalparasi, which lies in the south of the country, to visit the Midpoint Hospital, which the NHB has been financially supporting for several years.

Immense progress at the damaged schools

However the main focus of their inspection tour lay on the district of Sindhupalchok, where six of the 26 NHB-schools were completely destroyed and another ten suffered enormous damages by the earthquake, which leads to complex and expensive rehabilitation measures.

Thumann, Meier and Lindner were positively surprised by the progress of the school building in Sangachok, as its twelve classrooms were already finished although it had been only a concrete casing a year before. In October 2016, 450 boys and girls could move from the provisional solution of bamboo and Nissen huts into a proper school building.

The big school of Sanusiruwari which had still been uncompleted when the earthquake caused enormous damages at the five-story building is being extensively redeveloped. An architecture firm commissioned by NHB is supervising the construction progress just as it does with all the other buildings. During a meeting on-site with the leading architect Sanjay Sapkota, the NHB-team could satisfy themselves of the good realizations of the plans 

The same goes for nine further schools which need redevelopment, whereas the school in Sukute has already been finished. According to the governmental resolution after which all new school buildings have to follow the new colouring, this school has been painted in light yellow with dark red window frames and doors. Presently repair work is done at five different buildings at the same time – thus at the Shree Kali Devi Secondary School, Kadambas (Michl-Dacher-School), which was the first educational institution built by NHB or at the completely destroyed school in Thulosiruwari, where the new pillars have already been set.

If the wish of the architecture firm gets fulfilled, all bare brickworks will be completed by the middle of 2017, the beginning of monsoon season. 

Building School for the Blind anew

The survey of the school in Chautara led to the finding that this building also needs a general rehabilitation with a new structural analysis. The annexed school for the blind had to be torn down at the beginning of 2016 and is being re-erected at the same place at the moment, however with a different building conception. Building the school including a boarding school is planned to be started in 2016 as the blind boys and girls have been living in disastrous conditions since the earthquake. 

Hospital on a good way

Highly satisfying was the visit of the Midpoint hospital in Nawalparasi, as the building was very clean and the its equipment – mostly financed by NHB, like x-ray, supersonic and blood test instruments – were in perfect condition. The front yard of the hospital has been newly landscaped and partly transformed into a park which can be used not only by patients but also by the local population. 

One of the highlights was the official bringing into service of the new well which was drilled into a depth of 80 metres with financial support of NHB. The well serves not only for watering the new park area but also gaining drinking water in combination with a filter system.

Caused by an increasing number of patients – due to the meanwhile high standards and good reputation of the hospital – the need of extending the clinic is obvious. In line with this demand the hospital committee handed over a correspondent proposition to the vice president, Manfred Lindner.

Twentieth anniversary of our children’s home

Our children’s home which was built in 2001 is being renovated at the moment. It gets a new exterior and interior painting, its water supply system and the solar panels are being thoroughly checked and modernized. During his stay Roman Meier, a trained electrician, exchanged damaged switches, electrical outlets and blubs that the building can shine brightly for its twentieth anniversary festivities at the end of December and that it is fit to house many future generations of children.

It’s a question of financing

All these building measures going on for several months have to be paid for. The rehabilitation work at the schools of Sukute, Sanosiruwari and Sangachok alone have meanwhile caused costs up to 126,000 Euro. The new building of Shree Seti Devi Higher Secondary School in Thulosirubari will cost about 177,000 Euro. According to the architecture firm the complete construction costs for the following years are set down to 900,000 Euro.

Apart from those high amounts, the daily running costs of our other projects and institutions need to be covered. That’s why NHB tries very hard to rest their aid organisation on a solid financial cushion by selling their calendar, presently “Himalaya 2017”, or donations in general. All details for people interested in supporting our organisation can be found here: www.nepalhilfe.org. Thanks to the many people who show a great variety of commitment that we have been able to start the rehabilitation and renovation work in such a successful way. We, the members of NHB, are aware of the fact that YOUR support is the reason for OUR success. Thousand thanks for your commitment and donations!