Reaching out to Dhadkharka

I had little idea that I could be so wrong to take a sigh of relief when all the preparations like collection, sorting and packing of the relief materials for Dhadkharka was over. It had been a tiring busy week with all the required preparations. But the fact was that, the real challenge has only begun.
 

Reaching Dhadkharka, a neglected village of Nuwakot district was a challenge in itself. We saw devastation throughout the way, at a few places whole settlements has collapsed and we had to  move right above the rubbles of the homes on the side of the roads. The road was steep and slippery – made worse by constant showers. The journey made us fear for our lives. One team of volunteers had already left on Friday (8 May 2015) in a pickup van and tractor full of supplies. They had to face a series of trouble as both the vehicles broke down and they had to walk a long way to reach the village.

The eight of us who moved out a day after, on Saturday had to face a different set of challenges. The village of Dhadkharka is actually not that far from Kathmandu, approximately 90 kilometres away. The last stretch of about 10 kilometres was the road out of some fear factor reality show. We had gone in motorbikes, but the pillion rider had to get off every now and then and the bike had to be pushed to get it uphill. Only when one deadly stretch would pass, another would arrive in no time. One of my friend’s bike fell down causing minor injuries to both riders. Thankfully, no serious harm was caused to anyone. We were dead tired and drained of energy when we reached a stop about an hour from our destination, after some four hours of ride (and walking and pushing). We were tired and hungry. I was about take out waiwai and some biscuits from my bag, I was informed that the community people have already prepared lunch for us. Really? I was surprised; all of their houses and belongings were under rubble. “We don’t even have homes to invite you inside, please do sit here”. They gave us mats and requested us to sit on the road itself. But despite all their loss, I was so humbled to see that they had offered us the very best of what they had. They had prepared the lunch in a temporary shelter near a cowshed. They provided us with huge potions of rice, dal, bhatmas (soyabean) and even chicken. I was wondering how someone can have so little and yet share whatever one has! The plate of that dal-bhat was the most fulfilling thing that I ever ate. 

“You all have come from so far away to help us, this is the least we can do for you,” said the ‘dai’ who was filling out plates.

The truck with all of the goods had broken down at that place, so we had to wait for it to get fixed. We rested there for some time and went ahead to the community without the relief materials (while the vehicle was being fixed).

As we reached the distribution site (with more steep and slippery road), the people from four wards (5, 7, 8, 9) of the Samundratar VDC that we had planned to support had already gathered there.

Even after two weeks of the first quake, we were the first group of people outside the community to reach there with relief. People there were simple and humble. I could see the pain of waiting and desperation in their eyes. But they didn’t ask us anything, instead offered us water. The truck still showed no sign of arriving. 

The Dhadkharka Primary School that Colors of Nepal had been supporting (that was the real reason we came to the place) was at about 45 minutes’ walk distance from the relief distribution site. We chose to walk up to the school because that felt way safer than riding the bike. It was heart-breaking to see the school building damaged completely. The inner walls had collapsed filling the classrooms with stones. Thankfully, the quake didn’t take place while the school was running. (Three of the student lost their lives due to the earthquake.)

We walked back to the relief distribution site, but the truck with supplies had not arrived yet. We had planned to get to Dhadkharka by 12 pm and leave the place by 3. We had not planned on staying the night there. But the truck had not arrived even at 4:30 in the afternoon. We waited and waited along with the people from the community. Around 5pm, I heard a bunch of children shouting excitedly “Aayo! Aayo!” The truck had finally arrived.

We unloaded the truck and started the distribution process. I knew how desperately the people were waiting, so everyone started crowding towards the truck. The name list of the people for distribution had already been prepared by the community leaders (one name from each household) and the distribution was started from ward number 8. People were calm and everything went on in a very organised way.

Apart from food and other supplies, we had a team of medical experts and medical supplies with us. We had two doctors and a dentist, all of whom became very busy with a long queue of people waiting to receive treatment. 

Apart from other things, we had also taken with us small shoes for children below three. The children and their mothers were so happy to get the shoes. Many of the children were wearing a shoe for the first time in their lives. Sadly, we didn’t have it for older children who came to have a try out and had to go back disappointed when the shoes didn’t fit them. I wished we had taken more of bigger sizes. I saw that they mostly ran bare feet amidst the rubbles and broken homes.  

We also had sanitary pads with us for the women who always suffer more (along with the children) during such crisis. I along with my friend Smita, and a local bahini Saraswati sat a bit apart from the main distribution place so that women and girls would feel comfortable to come to us. We sat there with boxes of sanitary pads, women gathered around us with shy smiles but no one dared to actually come to get the stuff. I had previous experience of working in the sector of SRHR (Sexual and Reproductive health and Rights) in rural context so, I went to a few younger girls and tried to ease them, then they finally came up to get the sanitary pads. The younger bunch started coming one after another and also shared how difficult it was for them to stay outdoors in tents and makeshift homes during their menstrual periods. Many older women had never seen and used such sanitary pads, we explained to them how to use and dispose it properly after use. Gradually, more and more women started coming in and went back happily. 

It was already dark when the relief distribution was coming to an end, one little boy came to me and asked for a handiplast. I asked him what has happened? He replied that he has a cut in his hand. I thought it must be a small wound and had a look at his hand with the help of a torch light. I screamed with horror when I saw his wound and called the doctor immediately.  He had got injured during the quake and his cut was infected and swollen with pus as he had not received any treatment since the last two weeks. There were many such cases of wounds infected due to lack of very basic medical care.

It was 1 pm when we got to the school (one of the few standing structures in the area, not the one I mentioned earlier,  was about an hour downhill from the distribution site) where we sheltered for the rest of the night. I would have to write two more pages, if I start writing about the night and our stay there, so I would stop here.

It was very little that we could do for those people but, the relief and happiness in their faces, was more worth than all the efforts that we made. Life after the quake is very hard for this already poor Tamang community. They were still confused about what had happened had little idea about how they are going to build back. I didn’t find a trace of any government or non-government organisation’s support there, people were basically on their own. But it was good to see that people were not hopeless or too pessimistic. Probably, they have already been thorough a lot in their lives, and they the quake as just another blow. But it is certain that they will not be able to do it all alone by themselves – they will need some supporting hands from us !

Please donate at https://www.gofundme.com/dandhakharkha to help re-build the school at Dhadkharka.

(Team Rotaract Club of Baneshwor Royal and Colors of Nepal would like to thank Vishal Group Foundation, Spreading Smiles and other individuals for their support, without whom the trip would not have been possible. I would personally like to thank Rashik Maharjan (Founder, Colors of Nepal) for introducing us and guiding us to Dhadkharka and its people, and you haven’t yet answered how did you find this place in the first place !!!)