Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Project in

Chouri Kharka, Namche and Khumjung VDCs of Solukhumbu District, Nepal

1. Background:

The massive earthquake of 7.9 magnitudes struck in Nepal on 25 April 2015, followed by a series of aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.7 affected 51 districts. Over 8,600 lives have been lost till this date and over 18,000 people injured. Millions of people, mostly in the hilly areas of Nepal are made homeless. 288,798 buildings are fully damaged, and 254,112 are partially damaged.

The Khumbu region in Mt. Everest region also has a considerable number of damages occurred to many local houses, community centers, heritage sites, schools, medical centers have been ruined by this devastating hit.

Following chart shows the damage assessment carried out by the government in these 3 Village Development Committees (VDCs):

a. 835 full damage houses

Out of above 835 fully damaged houses, we have selected only 140 houses for the reconstruction as other 695 houses belongs to the people who are capable to pay for their reconstruction of their own houses or got supported by other individuals or organizations. We plan to rebuild only 140 houses that belong to the people who cannot offer to rebuild at all.

b. 834 partial damage houses
We also have selected 81 houses for the partial damaged houses for the renovation as the other 200 houses belongs to the people who are capable to pay for the cost of reconstruction for their own houses. We plan to renovate only 200 houses that belongs the houses under the poverty line.

c. Affected houses
d. 4 Partially affected houses

We do not have any plan to support the houses of both affected and partially affected houses as these houses do not cost much to renovate.

The above chart is not listed the following public properties which is a real essential to rebuild as these are the places where the local Sherpas practices their ritual life, taking the education of their children and medicating them when they are under any kind of poor health reasons.

The Khumbu region is also badly affected by the devastated earthquake to the public properties where the local Sherpas are facing problems in sending their children to school, in using medication facilities in hospitals, practicing the ritual ceremonies in monasteries now. The most important help Khumbu requires now is reconstruction of the public properties as the public properties are the one where all the locals are involved for the education, medication and ritual practices.

 

As of now, Himalayan Sherpa Foundation have completed the “first phase” of action which was to provide immediate relief such as temporary shelters by providing tents, rice, mosquito net, lentil, cooking oil and salt to the villages of Solu Khumbu, Kathmandu and Kavre district. German Red Cross has also kindly provided us with 200 tents as we have delivered them to the local villages of ChouriKharka Namche and Khumjung Village Development Committee (VDC). Himalayan Sherpa Foundation has temporarily closed down the immediate relief action of distributing foods except the most urgent places. HSF has taken its action forward with the project of “reconstruction and rehabilitation” of local settlement in Khumbu region.

We have done our surveying action and found the project which we plan to complete within the year of 2017 May. We have visited all the badly affected area for the collection of data in Khumbu region and have observed them carefully. We have used the local clubs and forums for the finalizing the project we have seen and plan to accomplish them. We have pictures of the earthquake devastation in the region along with the data in the following pages. The foundation has examined and assessed the report and then evaluated the total cost for the projects based on its resources and potential opportunities to decide on rehabilitation and reconstruction of the houses, schools, hospitals and monasteries in the villages of Khumbu. Now we have clear picture of partially and fully damaged public as our further project to launch. We have eliminated partially damaged projects as any one of other donors can help in such lighter projects but have selected several of public and private fully damaged properties so that the locals of Khumbu can benefit properly from this project and also to let them to feel safe, relief, comfortable and enjoy their daily life as normal as before.

During our first phase of project, we have been active in providing immediate relief materials like medicine, food, tents, tine for the roof and materials for the basic need in school. We have got chance to distribute the tents donated by the Asia Foundation, German Red Cross and Halesi Mani Committee along with Mahendra Jyoti Ex-Student Forum. With the continuous support from our team of volunteers who are working tirelessly, made our first phase of delivering immediate help to the local people in Solu Khumbu, Kathmandu and Kavre Palanchok been successful. As you can imagine, the earthquake left a devastating impact in our country destroying many houses, schools, hospitals and monasteries. I would like to thank all our donors, members of Himalayan Sherpa Adventure, board executives and members of foundation, volunteers involved in distribution of immediate relief and collection of details.

Due to the earthquake, the avalanche washed out the Everest base camp killing 16 Nepalese and 4 foreign climbers and injured more than 200 climbers. All the dead bodies were evacuated and injured climbers were rescued back to Kathmandu and most of the climbers went back to their home after some medication in Kathmandu. Many of the Sherpas passed away due to the avalanche taken place in Everest BC and also due to the earthquake; many poor Sherpa families lost everything what they have so that they cannot send their children to school. This foundation is also planning to have a basket fund for the scholarship to the children suffered from the above cause. We plan to take the children from the very poor family who lost their parent from either the earthquake or casualties taken place in Everest BC.

For the above projects of reconstruction of houses of poor Sherpa’s and public properties such as schools, hospitals and monasteries, we have requested our Honorary Tourim Goodwill Ambassador to Chian for Nepal to assist the projects we plan to run ahead to facilitate the locals of Khumbu. The Sherpas of Khumbu are very lucky to have such great and world renowned climbers within us who has been helping the region in former days and also planning in the days coming. This foundation takes pleasure being together with Mrs. Wang Jing to take care of the dream project of Mrs. Jing in Khumbu for the materialization.

Again, we would like to thank all our friends and well wishers for their continuous support in these times of difficulty. We really appreciate you for being there when we were in need and hope that you can continuously provide support in the future in any way possible. Due to the earthquake, many kids are unable to go to school so it is right time that we provide them with this opportunity and encourage them to continue with their school. Now we need your major part of support for our “second phase” of project in which we plan to work on rebuilding and rehabilitating the infrastructures and we hope to receive continuing support from our partnering friends. We appreciate you for your strong and kind help in bringing the life of all survivors back to normal by rebuilding the infrastructures such as houses, schools, hospitals and monasteries.

Please kindly find the following statistical data and pictures at the bottom, which shows our project which has been destroyed by the devastated earthquake April and May 2015.

2. Organization background

Himalayan Sherpa Foundation is a non-profit organization formed in 2013. The idea came from the managing director of Himalayan Sherpa Adventure to use some of 5 percent of its profit to the development of Khumbu region. The main reason to form this foundation is to provide better education in Khumbu, to protect the culture, religion and the heritage sights of Nepal, to protect the environment in the mountainous region. Later the managing director of Outdoor Adventure has found the idea acceptable and joints the foundation as a vice president. This foundation has already spent the amount above one million rupees only on the name of immediate relief projects in Solu Khumbum Kathmandu and Kavre Palanchok from the support of the Himalayan Sherpa adventure.

Our plan:
We have immediate relief, Short term plan and concrete project (Long term) for the reconstruction as below:

Immediate relief:
We have done our immediate relief project by distribution food, tents and medicine and we have stopped this project at the moment temporarily. We may go ahead for this project if it is needed in the days coming due to further such natural calamity but to keep our major focus on reconstructions, we have decided to stop the immediate relief project at the moment.

Short term plan:
Beside the immediate relief program, we have immediately thought that we need to take care of the ground situation where people are facing huge problem of shortage of medicine, temporary classes for the students who lost their schools and people whose house are damaged badly. We also thought to support the damages on hydro power that put the people to stay in dark in the night and put tins on the roof of the schools buildings which made the class rooms very wet due to the rain gets inside the room.
We have focused our short term project based on above program that can be done in short times of few months.

Long term plan (Concrete Project of Reconstruction):
Now we are in our long run project that is to finalize the project we are going to launch. We have selected several projects given below and we need to approve these projects based on its importance. We will finalize these projects such as reconstructions of schools, hospitals and monasteries as well as the local poor Sherpa houses.

Project Goal:
1. Support post-earthquake victim in Khumbu region for their rehabilitation
2. Plan to rebuild public properties: 3 schools, 2 hospitals and 3 monasteries.The target group by this project will be the 9,800 families of the three VDCS.
3. Rebuild local poor Sherpa houses in Chouri Kharka, Namche and Khumjung VDC based on the poorest families whose houses are completely destroyed by the devastated earthquake
4. Provide education to the poor and orphan children

Expected Outcome:
1. Steady recovery of tourism based livelihood in the community through the Reconstruction of effected local poor Sherpa houses.
2. Maintain the poor sherpa’s daily life better.
3. Let the people in Khumbu enjoy their life as normal before
4. All poor children can go to school and get higher education
5. Let all the people in Khumbu to feel safe in their new home, schools, hospitals and monasteries

Key implementation Methodology:
– Coordination with local and district level government line agencies.
– Coordination with local institutions: Women/youth groups, kiduks, clubs, CBOS, Schools, Sub/Health post etc.
– Mobilization of experts, volunteers and youth groups.
– Collaboration with media at local and national level for effective project implementation and transparency.
– Document and archive achievements, learning and case studies (photos, videos, audios, news clips and reports)
– Regular supervision, monitoring and evaluation by our expert team of engineer, local user group team formed us, by our team visit, representative from the related government offices and our donors.
– Working on the four pillar approach:1) Rights based approach,2) Meaningful participation 3) Ownership and 4) Sustainability.
– Promote effective communication and local participation for effective and equitable distribution and relief supports.
– Promote locally viable technologies to reconstruct houses and public buildings.
– Use standard engineering consultancies for the reconstruction of all the public properties this foundation plan to rebuild.

3. The total estimation for reconstruction of all the houses as above in Chouri Kharka and Khumjung:

1. 30 full damage houses cost USD $ 10,000 ie.30 X 10,000= USD $300,000/-
2. 40 partial damage house cost USD $ 3,000 i.e. 40 X 3,000= USD $ 120,000/-

The above cost are based on approximate rate which includes the cost of porter, stone, cement, wood, wages of carpenters and tin for the roof.

4. Statistics and cost for the schools and monasteries affected by the Earthquake in Chouri Kharka VDC
Schools:

a. Mahendra Jyoti Higher Secondary School in Chouri Kharka
Construction of 5 buildings which were destroyed by the earthquake cost USD $ 110,000 i.e. USD $ 110,000 X 9 buildings = USD $ 550,000

b. Janasewa Lower Secondary School in Gumela
1.New land for school cost $50,000
Construction of 3 buildings which were destroyed by the earthquake cost USD $ 120,000 i.e. USD $ 120,000 X 4 buildings = USD $ 360,000

Monasteries:

1. Pema Choling monastery in Rimijung

Construction of 1 main monastery building which was destroyed by the earthquake cost USD $80,000 + 3 other buildings used for kitchen, dining, office, student class room and ground for the ritual performance cost USD $40,000 = USD $220,000

2. The Khongma Monastery in Te Kongmagma, Rimijung

Construction of 1 main monastery building which was destroyed by the earthquake cost USD $40,000 + 2 other buildings for the kitchen, dining, office and ground for the ritual
Performance cost USD $30,000 = USD $ 170,000

5. Statistics of schools and monasteries devastated by the Earthquake in Khumjung VDC

School:

1. Khumjung Secondary School in Khumjung

Renovation of 2 buildings which are half destroyed by the earthquake cost USD $ 20,000 X 2 buildings = USD $ 90,000.

Monasteries:

2. Khumjung Monastery in Khumjung
Renovation of the main monastery and wall around the monastery and stupa near school which are destroyed by the earthquake cost USD $280,000

6. The total cost of the reconstruction of houses belongs to poor families, schools and monasteries in Chouri Kharka and Namche VDC are as below:

1. Reconstruction of houses in Chouri Kharka and Khumjung VDC
a. USD $300,000/-30 full damage houses cost USD $ 10,000 per house
b. USD $ 120,000/-40 partial damage house cost USD $ 3,000 per house

2. Schools of Chouri Kharka VDC

a, USD $ 550,000 for reconstruction of Mahendra Jyoti Higher Secondary School in Chouri
Kharka

b, USD $ 410,000 for reconstruction of Janasewa Lower Secondary School and purchase
of new land in Gumela

3. Monasteries of Chouri Kharka VDC

a. USD $ 220,000 Pema Choling monasteries in Rimijung
b. USD $ 10,000 Naptu Rimpoche Monasteries in Tha Tengma, Rimijung

4. Schools and Monastery of Khumjung VDC

a. USD $ 90,000 renovation in Khumjung Secondary School in Khumjung
b. USD $ 220,000 Monasteries in Khumjung

USD $ 1,920,000 approximately in Total

5. It cost USD $8,000 for the reconstruction of per full damage houses in Chouri Kharka VDC and USD $10,000 per full damage house in Khumjung VDC. The construction work in Khumjung is more expensive than in Chouri Kharka due to the cost of cargo transportation there and the wages of the man power. Lukla airport is closer to Kathmandu and it is in Chouri Kharka VDC. It takes another 2 days walk to Khumjung from Lukla and the cost of man power and the cargo cost makes the construction cost higher in Khumjung VDC than Chouri Kharka VDC.

The construction cost of partial damage home in Chouri Kharka VDC is USD $2,000 per house and USD $ 3,000 for per partial damage house in Khumjung VDC. The cost difference is due to the cost of man power and the porter cost for transporting all the construction materials to bring to Khumjung from Lukla.

I hereby, take the pleasure of thanking to all our donors, well wishers, partners and friends for their continuous support in these times of difficulty. We really appreciate you for being there when we were in need and hope that you can continuously provide support in any form possible.

As now we move ahead with the project of reconstruction and rehabilitation, we need major part of support to bring the people back to their homes as soon as possible. For this, we require a great financial support. We kindly request our friends from all over the world to support this mega project of bringing the people back to their homes after devastation of the earthquake. Due to the earthquake, many kids are unable to go to school so it is high time and it is very important to provide them the opportunity and encourage them to continue with their school.

We heartily appreciate you for your strong and kind help in bringing the life of all survivors back to normal by rebuilding the infrastructures such as houses, schools and monasteries in order to rehabilitate the daily lives of people after this devastation.

Best Regards,

Phurba Gyaltsen Sherpa
President
Himalayan Sherpa Foundation