Earthquake News

Here is a summary of the information we have received from our friends in Nepal.  For more details and images go to the Ten Friends facebook page.

May 14

From Sunita at the Himalayan Eduction Center in Eastern Nepal

“Till now we are safe and good . Earthquake is still not stopping. We are sleeping outside during the nights . Vibration is continuing. All the schools and college are closed for some-days.

Our Hostel got a little damaged on the top of the roof. In Khandbari all the people are okay but many houses and historical structures got damaged, also schools too. In the Himalaya Region some schools got damaged where we put our libraries. We are all afraid. Again I will be in touch soon”

May 13

Dinesh just wrote they are still having aftershocks and are outside. Frightening for them.

May 12

From Hopeful Home

There was another big shocks in Nepal. I were talking with children about their feelings and experiences from massive quake. Suddenly quake came. We rapidly ran out and save life. Till now we are alive but very afraid.

Today another earthquake in Nepal. 7.3 or 7.3 Richter. Very strong. The epicenter is between Kathmandu and Mt. Everest. They have received, since the first one on Aril 25 over 160 aftershoocks, and 157 of them were 4.0 or more on the Richter scale. Very scary times there.

May 11

Dinesh visited the home of our sponsored girls, Muna and Mina and spoke with Muna and her mom. He tells us,

“Muna is fine . I looked at their rented house (rooms). We saw some cracks on walls. The house owner is repairing that. Mina has started her school this morning. Her school has no damage. Muna had finished her grade 11 classes. Their mother and grand mother are ok.I found Muna’s mother is very frightened. It takes time to be calm.”

Thank you, Dinesh for checking on them!

May 5

Here’s a note on the state of things in the mountains, and in Dinesh’s home village.

It has affected the mountain areas more. Most of the houses have fallen down. The rest of the houses are damaged. Those houses are made traditionally with mud, stone and wood. They are totally damaged, not fit for enter for even a second. Thousands of animals died. People lost their crops. They have only one pair of clothes.

I had visited my home village and there are no more houses. The road and hills are cracked. My villagers are living in tents. I visited another village, and it looked the same. I have seen children lying down on floors, and eating poorly. I talked with a woman who has 4 children aged between 1 to 8. Her husband has gone to the Gulf States to find work a few weeks ago. Her house has broken, there is no food to eat, no bed to sleep, no clothes to wear. There is no tent to protect them from sun and rain. There is no other young man to take care of this family. Who will help them to have shelter, earn food and care ? This is very sad situation in the mountains. I felt very sad and couldn’t take their photo. The government is distributing support but when does it reach there? Looking at the cracked hills, I can’t think about the rainy season . I feel badly that there will be more landslides and many farmers will lose their fields and lives too.

From Hopeful Home Orphanage

Namaste Friends,

Thank you for your kinds words and praying in this sad time.Now, we are OK. Children are in the house. Our computers and telivision broken.Life is trying to be normal . Here is many aftershocks which make us afraid.More than 200,000 houses are completely broken in the mountains and city.People are living in open space . They lost their daily utilities including food, beds, clothes, etc. They are looking support.

Government says 8000 people died but the number is increasing. More than 14000 people are at hospital and clinic center. Thousand and thousand pet lost.Many schools and health post in the mountain collapsed. Nepal army, police and others working on rescue and passing supports. Roads and hills are cracked. It will caused landslides in rainy season.Life will be more difficult in the future.

Yours
Hopeful Home family.

May 1

From Dinesh:

Hi mark, now my cell phone works again. But  still bad connection. We got power yesterday after 6 days. There is no internet in my house. I go to my neighbour’s house use . I am trying to contact our sponsored students, friends and relatives. Till now i havn’t bad news. I talked with Puskar sponsored by your mother, muna by bette, rohan by tibor…. I keep trying.  Regarding the damage by quake, my house, my brother’s house and neighbours house has no damage. These are new concrete and small house. We have seen few houses in city fallen down. I heard a big touristic shop, the sony handycrafts, near tibet guest house fell in side, one hotel  broken. I go tomorrow and see. I  have seen there was damage on walls of big apartments .  I  have seen on first day . Idon’t go out from my house today because we are afraid of after shock in a week. People talked 82 years ago, there was a massive quake 8.5 and there was a big after shock which destroyed many houses…….  The banks are ok. There is no problem in their record and system.   When i get, i update you. Dinesh

April 30

Just received two emails our colleague Dinesh sent 2 days ago!

“Namaste ! Till now we are safe. We are spending nights and days in tent. Our house has not broken. Here is no electricity, no wifi, not good network of cell phone. That is why we couldn’t contact you. Gopini (the founder of Hopeful Home) is looking after the children. I am with my family. These 4 days were very terrible days for us. We are very afraid. We got massive earthquake and followed by more than 100 others which made life terrible. It takes time to come back in normal. We are very afraid. Please pray for us.”

April 28

Message from Samantha, a friend of Gopini, the founder and house mom for Hopeful Home:
“I just spoke to Gopini and here an update: the children are sleeping on Durbar Square in Bhaktapur on plastic sheets and in a tent. Its not cold but the heavy rain makes the situation worse. The school is closed and there is for now sufficient rice and dhal. The house of Hopeful Home is little bit damaged but many houses and flats around are destroyed or damaged. Its unsure when the children will return to their home.
All children, Gopini, Dinesh and family, Ram and family are doing okay. That was it for now, Gopini asked Dinesh to send an email to update us about the situation, hopefully we hear from him soon, but broadband might be down.”

April 28

This morning, an email from Sunita at the Himalayan Education Center tells us she, too has talked to Dinesh in Kathmandu, and he is safe. Still there are aftershocks and life is uncertain. Here’s her note:

“Today i talked with Dinesh his family and all the children of Hopeful home they are all safe . They are living outside of home using tents . He told me there is no electricity and internet . So he could not contact you soon . Still we can not say anything about earthquake its happening again and again . Thank you very much for sending lots of heart touching wishes and love”
Sunita

April 27

I know it’s late, but I just heard from our dear friend Lhakpa Sherpa. He called Dinesh for us, and then messaged me back that Dinesh and his family are safe! I hope he can call us or get internet service soon! We are so relieved!

April 27

Here’s information from the Hopeful Home Facebook page. Samantha Wagenaar says, “I’ve spoken to Gopini yesterday morning and although the line was really bad, they confirmed that they were all okay. Many houses are damaged. I will let you know if I hear any more details. Thanks”

April 26

I have just heard from Sunita, our manager at the HImalayan Education Center in eastern Nepal, that they are still having aftershocks now in Khandbari, and she and the girls are sleeping outside. She says it is not so cold, and there is electricity off and on. In Kathmandu, she tells us her brother’s house is still standing, but they too, are living outside.

April 26

Dear Friends,

This is a long post, but has important information we want to share.

Ten Friends has received many questions about how to contribute to relief efforts for the earthquake in Nepal. Also, there have been questions about our network of friends and the people involved in the programs that Ten Friends supports in Nepal.