Reaching the Village of Jayamdi Deurali

After having lunch at the UN military training camp in Panchkal, which is about an hour and half drive from the capital Kathmandu, we got in a jeep used by my military rescue team. The driver knew how to master such dangerous roads because he has been driving the Sri Lankan army relief and rescue team members for the past ten days in the surrounding mountains. The driver was experienced and knew how to master such difficult, rough, off-road terrain.

Although the Sri Lankan army was reluctant to let me travel to Jayamdi Deurali Village because of difficult road conditions, Captain Pradip who is a Nepali army officer insisted. Finally I was traveling with Cap. Pradip and two Sri Lankan army officers. Landslides along the way made it even harder to go up the mountain. Cap. Pradip was sure that nobody had reached this village until that day to help them and he requested that I help them in whatever way I could and especially rebuild one of the school buildings that had collapsed during the earthquake.

As we reached the village, I was shocked and saddened to see how homes had become piles of rubble and people had lost everything including many of their animals. I was glad to help the villagers in whatever way we could and made arrangements with the school principal to meet again and finalize the plans to rebuild the collapsed school building.