110 Families in Naubise, Nepal Receive Zinc Sheets for Roofing

Ven. Bhante Wimala continues to assist those who lost homes in the devastating earthquake in Nepal to rebuild livable shelters. He recently distributed zinc sheets for roofing for 110 more families who lost their homes to the earthquake. This time his efforts were centered in two remote villages in a mountainous area called Naubise. With the distribution of roofing material in Naubise, so far, total of more than four hundred families have been provided with roofing material and financial assistance in Nepal.

Why zinc sheets? Those who lost homes can build temporary shelters using local material or wood that they recover from the damaged buildings. The most expensive part for them are the zinc sheets, and the villagers are not able to buy the roofing. Having a roof over their heads as the rainy season starts will make a huge difference in alleviating suffering. That is why Bhante Wimala took such a great interest in providing them with zinc sheets for roofing.

Bhante received the request for help to the people of these two villages from Captain Pradip of the Nepalese army. Since Captain Pradip had done search and rescue missions in this area after the earthquake, he knew that the people of these two villages who lost their homes had not received any help to rebuild their temporary shelters.

Since Bhante Wimala always tries to inspect conditions before providing any assistance when he receives such requests, he traveled to Naubise with one of his project managers Mr. Dinesh. It was a difficult trip. After traveling one and a half hours by car from Kathmandu, they traveled on a narrow mountain road for 4km. Sometimes you have to drive over the landslides that cover the narrow road and it can be quite difficult and scary. When the road ended Bhante had to hike for one and half hours straight up the mountain to reach the families.

Bhante said, – When I arrived I felt sad that these people had to wait such a long time to receive help. All the houses were completely destroyed. Many families lived in tents. Some had collected the old material from destroyed homes and built huts. I did not want to wait, so I immediately organized and provide nessasary financing to purches and distribute roofing material to all 110 families in the two villages.?

Since there was a shortage of zinc sheets in Nepal the project managers had to wait another week to organize the purchase and distribution. With the help of Captain Pradip, two truck loads of material were brought in and the villagers hiked down the hill to the end of the rough road where our vehicles were parked.

Bhante had met many of those families when he first visited to see the devastation. As they met again when they hiked down the mountain to receive the Zinc sheets, they treated Bhante with friendly smiles and expressed gratitude for returning to the village with the zinc sheets for the roofing that they so urgently needed.
In the occasion of distributing zinc sheets for roofing, addressing the villagers he expressed his gratitude to kindhearted donors who provide him with financial assistance to continue his humanitarian relief work Nepal.