It is a two-day drive and a five-day trek into the lower Tsum Valley
from Kathmandu. When our group of volunteers arrived into the villages of Chumling and Ripchet in the lower Tsum Valley, they witnessed people living without shelter, in tents, and in make-shift tarp and metal structures feeling hopeless as they waited for the monsoon season to begin. While there, our team attended a meeting with the local government leaders from the villages of Chumling and Ripchet concerning the next steps for reconstruction following the April 25th earthquake in Nepal. Also discussed were the logistical challenges of building seismic resistant structures in a place as remote as the lower Tsum Valley while using local building materials.
The following table shows the total structure damage in Chumling and Ripchet in the lower Tsum Valley and the areas where your funding will support our mission in Nepal.
Damage data as of 17 May:
Description |
Totally damaged |
Partially damaged |
Total |
Houses |
64 |
188 |
266 |
School |
3 |
1 |
5 |
Gomba(Monastery) |
10 |
1 |
11 |
Once confirmed to work in the villages, our Nepal-US team will begin planning for long-term housing and infrastructure solutions while upholding the culture of the people of the lower Tsum Valley. We will pair local engineers and architects with their international counterparts to design safe and affordable structures. Once the monsoon season ends, we will work and build with the locals while training them in proper and safe building techniques. We will also develop a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) training program to ensure the structural and earthquake-resistant integrity of the buildings. This program will also be implemented for other villages and NGOs working in Nepal.
Our Nepal counterpart is comprised of businessmen, building inspectors, architects, and engineers, and our US group consists of engineers, construction managers, and finance professionals. Collectively, our team of professional volunteers have successfully completed remote construction projects in Alaska, the Pacific Islands, Asia, Africa, Europe, Central America, and South America. We are a transparent organization focused on donor accountability and building respectful relationships.
Village Structures International's mission is to promote sustainable economic growth and environmental stewardship in underdeveloped regions through post-disaster reconstruction and education. With your help, we can teach the people of Nepal to fish, not just give them one.
For more information about our work and our mission, go to
www.villagestructures.org
Trek to the Tsum Valley