Earthquake Relief in Nepal
7/27/2015 Relief for Nepal Update
The Healing Touch Community has made significant contributions to recovery from the April 25, 2015 earthquake in Nepal. The Healing Touch Community in Nepal, led by Aparna Bhatta, HTCP/I, has provided HT and other relief services to many injured and displaced Nepalese. She and her students have worked in the hardest hit and most inaccessible regions, where medical assistance is minimal and major relief organizations and the Nepal government have had little impact. As part of caring for client needs, Aparna and her students have provided or arranged for food, drugs and shelter for the people they help through HT. Through HTWF, the US HT Community donated $14,000 to support her efforts. These funds, along with funds donated by others, provided transportation for the HT workers and some food and similar support, so they can do their work. A larger portion of the funds helped with immediate basic client survival needs, such as providing shelter from the monsoon storms and medical supplies.
Now, her efforts are transitioning to long term support, as the immediate crisis has ebbed. There are still many injured and sick which require continued care, including some of her HT students. In addition, Aparna is now focusing more of her time on training others, since acute needs have lessened and HT is in great demand as a result of the positive impacts it has had over the past few months.
When Aparna travels back to Katmandu, The Foundation's Nepal Relief Team has been in contact with her through email or Skype and has been receiving updates on her HT efforts. HTWF fully supports her ongoing relief work and the introduction of HT into homes, medical facilities and schools. On July 29, 2015 the Foundation contributed an additional $3000 to the HT Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund to further Aparna and her student's ongoing efforts.
We thank you all for your generous donations for the HT Nepal Community during this difficult time. Continued support is needed, as recovery from a disaster of this magnitude takes time. HTWF will continue to collect and distribute funds to our HT family in Nepal and will be assisting Aparna with growing HT in Nepal.
Spreading Healing Light Worldwide,
Healing Touch Worldwide Foundation Board
Healing Touch Nepal Community Activity Report
June 27, 2015 - Aparna writes:
The two major earthquakes and countless after-shocks since April 25th have caused a major devastation in Nepal, more than nine thousand people have lost their lives and more than twenty-one thousand people have been injured so far. There were major destructions of properties; people have lost their homes and everything they have due to this incident. The hardest hit areas are Sindupalchowk, Gurkha and Dolkha districts. Some places have been completely destroyed; even the villages were totally damaged. Many of the villages which were destroyed by the earthquakes were owned by some of the poorest and minorities. They had barely enough to survive before the earthquakes and now they have lost everything they owned. The sadness and cry for help can be seen in their eyes as you walk through their villages, many have lost their loved ones. As they share their stories of horror, it is difficult not to shed tears.
Villages that have been completely destroyed in Sindupalchowk
We have divided our plan accordingly:
1. Provide first aid kits, conduct health camp, provide free medicine to the patients.
2. Assess the needs of communities who have suffered due to the earthquakes.
3. Provide what they needed such as, medical supplies, food packages, nourishment baby foods for infants, clothing, blankets, mosquito nets, sanitary bags for girls and tetanus shots in some communities.
The funding that we received from Healing Touch World Wide Foundation was utilized in villages of Sindupalchowk, Nuwakot, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Kavre, Lamjung, Gorkha, Kaski and Tanahu districts. When we asked Sindupalchoak community members what was they needed urgently, most of them replied that since monsoon season is ahead of us they really needed mosquito nets, corrugated tin roof, we prioritized most of the funding on providing corrugated tin roof materials and mosquito nets, tents were torn out from the strong wind and storm, the hot and humid weather during this time of the year, brings out lots of mosquitoes which may cause malaria and Filariasis, which may become a major health risk. Assessing the needs we conducted various health camps, also pre natal and natal examination, infant examination and also provided supplemental foods, vitamins to prenatal mothers and post natal mothers. We also provided blankets, clothing, and sanitary kits to young girls.
Sanitary bags being handed to girls, pregnant and post natal mothers.
Sample Programmes conducted:
One day health camp was conducted in Bhotechour, 150 patients received treatment of which most of them were earthquake victims. Medical team provided services in Bhotechour community health centre and arrange referral services for those who needed advance care.
Two day health camp was conducted, especially for prenatal, postnatal women and under five years old children in Bhotechaur. One hundred malnourished children, prenatal women and prenatal mother received supplement food, clothing, sanitary kit, blankets and mosquito nets. We also provided five hundred mosquito nets for 500 families. Camp and support, including medicines, counselling, food mosquito nets and entertainment for single women and elderly in Sindupalchoak was conducted, 150 single women benefitted from the program.
Budget Allocate
- Medicines, supplies and support for referral cases
- Supplement food
- Sanitation kit-
- Support for prenatal, postnatal mothers and children
- Support for Single and elderly women
Latest money we received $ 4,000 is being used for HT students who is providing HT sessions to many people in their community, hospitals, temporary shelters, schools, Colleges, rehabilitation centres, Orphanages homes, public gathering. Support for single women, pregnant, post natal mothers and under 5 yrs old children. We are providing necessity household equipment for the families who lost their family. We are focusing in training parents, School teachers, community based rehabilitation centres' workers of Sindupalchoak, Kavre, Lamjung, Gorkha, Tanahu, Syngja, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts.
We would like to thank the Healing Touch Worldwide Foundation for providing us financial support to conduct these various programs. The people were very grateful for the support that we provided. It could not have been possible without your help.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely
Aparna
