Working Together
Working Together
Effective collaboration is critical in disaster response situations. Sometimes, organisations work well together, and sometimes they don’t. A really positive example is the relief distribution carried out by UMN’s partner Nepal Christian Relief Services in two VDCs in northern Gorkha. Practical Action provided tarpaulins, and arranged the distribution with the villages, while RCRS contributed foodstuffs – 30 kg rice, 2 kg lentils, 2L oil and 1 kg salt – enough for a family for about 1 month. Sorting, packing and distribution was made possible by a great team of volunteers from churches in Chitwan. 500 households in Ashrang VDC and 600 in Borlang VDC now have temporary shelter and basic food supplies because of this collaboration.
 
Jagat Bahadur BK’s family of seven is very grateful for the support. “Our house is completely destroyed,” he says. “Now we’re homeless. We can’t enter our house. We’ve lost everything.” The family received 30 kg of rice from the VDC, but that only lasted for three days, with so many people to feed. Now that he has more food supplies, Jagat Bahadur is starting to worry about how he will rebuild his house and provide for his small children. “What can I do?” he says. “I have no money.”

From a neighbouring ward, Narayan BK is also worrying about the future. Everything his 12-member family owned is gone. “We’re all crowded into a tent,” he explains. Tears are not far from the surface, even for this tough Nepali farmer. “How long can we live like this?,” he asks.
 
Former UMN Livelihoods Advisor Paul Wright is working with NCRS, helping them respond to the crisis. Now back in Kathmandu, Paul says: “I can’t help thinking ahead to what needs to be done for these folk before the monsoon hits.”

Distribution takes place in an orderly fashion, supervised by police and assisted by volunteers.

Filling in the paperwork. Care is taken so that supplies are distributed fairly.

Carrying their supplies, villages begin the walk back to their ruined homes.

Women waiting for the distribution to be completed.

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