Kamzang Earthquake Aid
Kamzang Earthquake Aid
The Kamzang Fund is raising funds via Kamzang Earthquake Aid (link to the LIVE Facebook page) to help aid and rebuild Nepal after the devastating earthquakes of April 25 & May 12, 2015.
100% of your contributions go to Nepal!
Who is Kamzang Earthquake Aid?
Kamzang Journeys & The Kamzang Fund (Kim Bannister, Lhakpa Dorji Sherpa & family & our Kamzang Journeys staff)
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The Kamzang Fund
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Kamzang Journeys Trek for Nepal!
Trek for Nepal!
Sherpa Everest Base Camp Trek
Hillary & Norgay Trek (Jiri to Everest Base Camp)
Everest Gokyo Lakes TrekEverest Sherpa Boutique Trek
Annapurna Peaks & Villages Trek
WE donate 5% to earthquake aid!
YOU raise money at home!
Destroyed in Earthquake – Kamzang List
The group of people who lost their houses includes several of our Kamzang Kids and several Nepalis who we helped through the Kamzang Fund who either lost their house or suffered serious earthquake damage.
Kamzang Staff
Lhakpa Dorji Sherpa| Family house in Thame, Khumbu
Junar & Maile Basnet | Family house in Nele Solu
Suresh Basnet | Family house in BJ Kharka, Solu
Yam & Chhatre Khulal | Family house in Nele, Solu
Pasang, Saile & Kaile Tamang | Family house in Palep, Rasuwa
Pemba Tamang | Family house in Gatlang, Rasuwa
Tshering Sherpa | House in Chhuserma & family house in Lukla, Khumbu
Phu Tashi Sherpa| House in Pangboche, Khumbu
Mingma Sherpa | House in Thame
Tamang Staff | All family houses in Rawuwa (Galtang & Palep)
— Many lives lost including two daughters of Hari Bahadur Tamang —
Kamzang Kids
Dawa Yangii & Nimalee Sherpa | Family house in Monjo, Khumbu
Mingma Choki Sherpa | Family house in Thame, Khumbu
Zangmu Sherpa | House in Thame, Khumbu
Phura Diki Sherpa | House in Jorsale, Khumbu
Extended Family
Some of the staff of the Kathmandu Guest House
Kamzang Medical Aid & Projects
Nyima Dikki | House in Samdo, Manaslu
Dil Maya Gurung | House in Korla, Manaslu
Gompa Lungdang Nuns (Tsum Valley Nuns Project) Gompa partially destroyed, trails to gompa damaged. Tsum Valley, Manaslu
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Kamzang Earthquake Aid | Projects
1 – FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE for rebuilding ‘Kamzang family’ houses in several regions (Solu, Khumbu, Manaslu & Rasuwa)
36 Families Reached
2 – BUILDING SCHOOLS in Tipling, Dhading
Helping Beni Ghale of Steps Foundation Nepal in her heroic efforts to raise funds to bring a structural engineer to Tipling and rebuild THREE SCHOOLS in one the most remote and largest village of Dhading district, Ganesh Himal (Ruby Valley) region.
PLEASE DONATE TO HELP US ACHIEVE THIS GOAL
Founder of this Project
Steps Foundation Nepal
Partner in this Project
Friend from New Zealand
3 – REBUILDING SCHOOL in Upper Dolpo
The wonderful Tabriza Cultural School in Lower Dolpo was one of the only schools in Dolpo to be severely damaged by the earthquake. This school provides education for children all over the Dolpo region, and is always in need of funding.
Kamzang Earthquake Aid donated a large sum of money (via friend from New Zealand) to help build new buildings for the coming winter.
Partner in this Project
Friend from New Zealand
4 – FOOD & TARPS to our 22 porters living in Gatlang & Ramche Tamang villages in Rasuwa, LangtangPartners in this ProjectMountain People Norway | Sian & BobFINANCIAL AID to REBUILD to our Gatlang porters
5 – WATER PROJECT in MAJHI FISHING VILLAGESThese fishing villages had serious water issues, with no water in Dumre village, a broken well in the village across the river (Bhotetar).
We brought in a civil engineer specializing in water, assessed the damage and provided water to both villages!
We bought a piece of land with water access 2 1/2 kilometers away from Dumre and provided about 3 km of pipeline to the village. The villagers did all the work to save money, and they now have running water to 8 different parts of the village!
Bhotetar also has new water tanks and running water to their several village taps!
Partner in this Project
Maya Greet Verbist Fund
6 – FOOD SUPPLIES to two MAHJI FISHING VILLAGES in Kavre & Sindhapulchowk
Photo Essay & Report | Majhi Fishing Villages
7 – MEDICAL COMPENSATION to MAHJI villages
(FINANCIAL AID given directly to villagers who sustained injuries due to the earthquake)SCHOOL SUPPLIES to MAJHI villagesPhoto Essay & Report | Majhi Fishing Villages
8 – FOOD SUPPLIES & MEDICAL AID to Tamang village of Palep in Rawuwa, LangtangOur porters on most camping treks come from Palep, so this cause is very close to our hearts.
The village needs to relocate but doesn’t yet have a new location. We brought food for several weeks, a medical kit to keep at the school and some things for the kids.
Photo Essay & Report | Palep, Tamang Village
9 – FINANCIAL AID to REBUILD SCHOOL in Palep, Langtang
We are coordinating with one of the local teachers to help rebuild their school in a new location. The school has already received partial supplies from a Swiss Organization. Photo Essay & Report | Palep, Tamang Village
10 – TARPS to BJ Kharka, Solu (60 houses) & TARPS where needed locally in KathmanduPartner in this ProjectTrailrunning Nepal
11 – FOOD SUPPLIES via helicopter to Samdo, Nupri, Manaslu
We also brought BAKUS (Tibetan outfits, also called CHUBAS) to the women of Samdo, donated by Manangi friends, a small medical kit and some things for the kids.
Partners in this Project
Norwegian Medical Mountaineering Aid
Photo Essay & Report | Samdo Tibetan Village | Manaslu Region
12 – TENTS, SOLAR & FOOD SUPPLIES via helicopter to the five remaining nuns of Deboche Monastery, Khumbu.
Thanks to Pasang Tsering Sherpa (see below link) for coordination with these nuns & for the communal tent.
Partners in this Project
Volunteers for Voiceless Victims Nepal
13 – FINANCIAL AID to REBUILD monks quarters of Thame Gompa, destroyed by the earthquake
Partner in this Project
Khumbu Adventures
14 – A WEEK OF MEALS to vulnerable Kathmandu-based non-profit organization which houses and feeds the disabled in Nepal.
Khagendra New Life Home
15 – Supporting efforts to coordinate VOLUNTEER REBUILDING in the Khumbu (Everest) region
Contact: Pasang Tsering Sherpa
Volunteers for Voiceless Victims Nepal
16 – PERSON TO PERSON DONATIONS
Kamzang Journeys has always been about helping people who have fallen between the cracks. We continue to do this by helping people we meet along the way with small donations to make ends meet.
17 – TREK FOR NEPAL!
Trek for Nepal!
We encourage trekkers to RAISE MONEY at home to donate, and we are donating 5% of the trek price directly to our Kamzang family to help them rebuild their homes.
Participants
Nan Sequin, Sylvie Lucas & Janine Jobson
18 – CLOTHES FOR NEPAL!
Collecting clothes from overseas & Nepal to donate to villagers who lost homes and possessions, including traditional Tibetan outfits
Partners in this Project
Maya Greet Verbist Fund & Manangi Friends
19 – Artisan Program (Pending)
We would like to donate to NayanTara’s Yellow House ARTISAN PROGRAM to teach the skills of masonry, carpentry, wood carving, stone carving and metal casting to students from the affected earthquake regions. She is running this EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM with the Nepal Vocational Academy & the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust.
NayanTara’s Artisan Project
NOTE: We don’t have enough funds to support this program, but will keep it on the list as I think it’s a worthwhile organization and a great long-term project for Nepal. There are many other organizations like this in Nepal, too many to attempt to name here.
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Photo Galleries & Trip Reports | Google+
Majhi Fishing Villages
Photo essay of two lower-caste fishing villages on the border of Sindhapulchowk & Kavre districts
Palep, Tamang Village | Langtang Region
Photo essay of our visit to supply aid to a Tamang village in Langtang Region
Samdo Tibetan Village | Manaslu Region
Photo essay of our helicopter drop of aid to a remote Tibetan village in Upper Manaslu
Sankhu, Newari Town | Kathmandu Valley
Photo essay of a historic, exquisitely beautiful Newari town in the Kathmandu Valley
Durbar Square | Kathmandu
Photo essay of Kathmandu’s iconic Durbar Square
GHT: Kanchenjunga to Makalu Barun Trek
(Our ‘Nepal Earthquake Trek’)
Photo Galleries | Facebook
Majhi Fishing Villages (Sindhapulchowk & Kavre) – Nepal Earthquake Relief
Facebook Gallery
Palep, Tamang Village – Nepal Earthquake Relief
Facebook Gallery
Samdo, Manaslu Region – Nepal Earthquake Relief
Facebook Gallery
Sankhu, Newari Village – Post Earthquake
Facebook Gallery
Durbar Square – Post Earthquake
Facebook Gallery
Kathmandu (General) – Post Earthquake
Facebook Gallery
Tarps for Kathmandu – Post Earthquake
Facebook Gallery
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Donate Clothes for Nepal!
We will accept all clothing donations for Nepal and will distribute to earthquake affected villages personally or via friends at Nyano Sansar.
Options
1 – Collect good quality clothes from home & bring a full duffel bag
2 – Purchase fleeces, jackets & clothes from Kathmandu to support local economy
3 – Both
Nyano Sansar
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Kamzang Earthquake Aid – Overview
STEP 1: IMMEDIATE AID
We were trekking for the first 3 weeks of this enormous initiative so apart from some quick aid, we’ve left that to the experts. This phase is almost ‘finished’ now but many ‘reporters’ are still finding villages that have been left out, villagers are often finding ways to communicate their needs.
After immediate aid to our Tamang porters (rice, tarps, various supplies and solar lights), and seven of our Marmot Thor2 tents to the staff who needed them after their houses were damaged in Kathmandu, we will help our Kamzang family rebuild their houses and their lives with financial aid and whatever else is needed.
Our immediate focus was aiding the Tamang villages of Gatlang and Ramche in Rasuwa (Langtang region) where all of the houses and many lives were tragically lost. All of our staff (porters, Pemba, Pasang) will receive some financial aid to help rebuild their homes. These two villages in particular have been well supported by many local and international organizations, and are on the road to recovery.
Additionally, we supplied our Kamzang staff & Kamzang Kids with some financial aid to start with the rebuilding in their houses in Solu and Khumbu. Both regions sustained serious damage from the first and second earthquakes. Next we sent enough tarps for the entire village of BJ Kharka in Solu (60 houses).
We are supplying a village of fishermen (112 houses) on the Kavre | Sindhapulchowk border with rice, food supplies & a bit of medical aid in partnership with two other local organizations. We’ve distributed small amounts of tarps, clothing, walking poles to locals and tented camps around Kathmandu when we have seen a need.
We supplied the 2 fishing villages with financial aid to compensate for medical expenses after the earthquake.
STEP 2: REBUILDING
This is the BIG step, and many BIG organizations including the government, the UN, big and small NGOs & INGOs will participate in the process. We want to make sure we get things right in terms of where your money goes so have been networking, collecting and sharing information and coordinating with other small organizations for the past 10 days. Progress, slowly (see below).
We’re also consulting with the Canadian Builders without Borders, who will arrive in Kathmandu in a week. They work at earthquake sites around the world.
STEP 3: SCHOOLS & HEALTH POSTS
We have a donation earmarked for rebuilding a school so will be consulting with local organizations who will, in turn, consult with the government. We believe this joint involvement will be essential in rebuilding Nepal.
More Information …
Kamzang Earthquake Aid has also worked with and been aided & advised (thank you!!) on Rasuwa (Langtang Region) with Mountain People Norway, Sian & Bob & AZIMUT as well as supplying some immediate relief in Gatlang & Ramche villages, Rasuwa. For Rasuwa (Langtang region, where our porters live) we are encouraging people to donate directly to Rasuwa Relief.
We communicated directly with World Food Organization (although they are now working with TAAN & NMA), Karma Flights, NYANO SANSAR, Khusi Hona and Tsum Nubri Relief (Sonam Lama of Tsum Valley Homestay) about how to best get aid to Manaslu & Tsum.
Gorkha & Lower Manaslu has gotten lots of aid as Barpak, Laprak and the nearby villages were at the epicenter of the first earthquake. They are all rebuilding, and the latest news is that supply roads for jeeps are open almost all the way to Laprak, and Singla, Khorla & Uiya are accessible by mule trains, or at least trails to Uiya. Many groups are doing helicopter drops in this region so these villages are surviving and gearing up for the monsoon now. Again, please donate directly to Barpak & Laprak!
The Solu Khumbu region seems pretty well covered by (these are just a few of the larger ones, there are MANY really good ones but I don’t have time to list them all) the Dzi Foundation, Thame Sherpa Heritage Fund, Himalayan Trust and Juniper Trust.
Of course the various branches of the American Himalayan Foundation (as well as the Australian, etc) are active in the region also.
Project Himalaya also has a relief effort which Jamie set up to help his staff’s region & to support Dawa’s High Altitude Mountain Workers Welfare Association, a great cause. KINA builds schools & supports girls in Solu Khumbu (& other regions). Detroit2Nepal focuses on Khotang.
In Sakhu, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Gorkha, Okhaldunga, Bhaktapur, Nuwakot, Kathmandu, Ramechap, Lalitpur, Rawuwa, Dolka, Makwanpur, Sinduli, Solukhumbu, these are some of the good organizations which are are providing emergency relief and building schools. : Grassroots Movement in Nepal, Khusi Hona, NYANO SANSAR
The Last Resort Quake Fund is deeply involved in Sindhupalchowk, and Borderlands is also doing great relief efforts. Dwarika’s has a massive project with five Sindhupalchowk villages in a camp in Kathmandu and in those villages.
In Helambu, the endlessly engergetic Lizzy has been doing great work with Helambu Education and Livelihood Project & Helambu Solu Khumbu Relief Fund
The incredibly inspiring & effective Yellow House initiative, with their Himalayan Disaster Relief Volunteer Group has been one of the most effective & wide-ranging organizations (all volunteers) in Nepal!
And in Kathmandu good friend Maya has been doing great work, has the worthwhile incentives on a list, and funded!
There are so many more, just listing a very few …
We are doing what we can in Kathmandu, distributing tarps before the monsoons to individuals in camps which have been neglected due to more important aid requirements in the many regions surrounding Kathmandu to the north, east and west, and partnering with organizations such as Norwegian Medical Mountaineering Aid to assist with essential helicopter drops of food, shelter & medical aid to some of Nepal’s most remote regions (see Facebook page for updates). We’ve also been coordinating with several other Kathmandu-based organizations, and have been networking with a large group of friends (new and old) who have been sourcing things like solar lights, funding local initiatives (note (Maya & BJ) and generally giving all they have to rebuild Nepal. Richard Bull of Trailrunning Nepal
kindly donated 100 tents which went up to Solu and have been distributed here in Kathmandu at the many tented ‘camps’ also in need of aid before the monsoon!
The list is too long to start really naming people here.
We all achieve more by working together …
PLEASE feel free to directly support any of these organizations!
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An Earthquake Story: Dawa Yangii
Dawa Yangii, one of our Kamzang Kids from Monjo in the Khumbu region, was in Kathmandu during the April 25 earthquake. She was buying fruit and heading to buy medicine for her 6-year-old cousin near Chhretrapati (near Thamel) in Kathmandu. The small fruit shop which she was standing inside DURING the quake collapsed seconds after she ran outside. She had to get out so quickly that she lost her bag with money, phone, ID and other belongings. But at least she survived!
General Updates: Kathmandu & Nepal
See our Kamzang Earthquake Aid page on Facebook for daily updates on who is doing what, where, how, what projects are worth noticing, who we suggest donating directly to. And lots of other information from our Kathmandu base, where one of the most important things we can do is to actively listen to stories, hear what locals have to say, ask questions and take action.
I am trying to supply as much relevant information for the general public on what is happening on the ground in Kathmandu, on what needs desperate attention, to share relevant posts, articles, videos and photo blogs.
Depending on how much we raise, we will contribute to some of the local organizations above, and are looking for a school to help rebuild. The more the world is aware, the more people will donate to Nepal. With this support Nepal & Nepalis can rebuild Nepal!
The energy in Kathmandu and Nepal is palpable, the creative Nepalis in all sectors are doing incredible work to keep Nepal positive, keep people active in volunteer work, share innovative ideas from architecture to woman’s ‘health packages’.
So much …
(Sorry if you don’t use Facebook, but it seems to be the most effective platform to post, connect, work & help during this period!)
Earthquake Updates from Kim in Kathmandu
(from last newsletter)
Thank you for all of your thoughts, messages & concern while we were trekking on our GHT: Kanchenjunga to Makalu trek during both of the earthquakes. It was another exciting trek (the one before being in Mustang during the heavy snows), and another intensely beautiful one. Since being back in Kathmandu we have been working non-stop on earthquake relief: on informing ourselves, raising immediate funds, getting supplies like rice & tarps out to where they’re needed immediately. We’re using a very grass-roots platform which seems to be working, and partnering & (attempting to) coordinate with other small groups that are volunteering in Nepal. It’s been very inspiring being back in Kathmandu; both Nepalis & Westerners coming together and being very innovative, progressive & positive in their attempts to give aid. Only the government and the larger INGOs seems to be moving slowly, funds, transport & supplies mired in red tape, keeping funds tucked away somewhere for a rainy day.
Kathmandu seems quite normal on the surface, the once-royal palace walls are down in many places near my Lazimpat house, Kathmandu Guest House is demolishing the entire older section of the guesthouse (all but the new luxury rooms and new-ish rooms just in back of the garden and plan to reopen fully in a year, with a huge garden, beautiful rooms and an earthquake-proof new structure. They will be partially open in the new wing this Autumn.
Thamel a bit rubbly, several buildings in the narrow streets have collapsed, the narrow streets and high buildings still make me nervous when cycling through. But there are plenty of tourists in town, and most of the restaurants are open again. Lazimpat, where I live, and north into Budhanilkhantha is mostly undamaged, was much more of a disaster during the 2-3 years of road widening! Most of the pools all cracked and not in use.
En route to Boudhanath there are collapsed buildings down but its sporadic. These are mostly brick or badly, cheaply built buildings and most are being demolished. Tent camps have sprung up near Boudha & the Hyatt (big ones) and all around Kathmandu, in various conditions. One near New Road in Ratna Park is clean, guarded, has toilets & health posts, grass and plenty of room. Inside Durbar Square people are camped close together and the conditions aren’t very good. Chuchparti Park near Boudha & the Hyatt is very crowded, with report of 800 tents & 4000+ people although it’s hard to know if this is an accurate assessment as the camp is so crowded. Photos of a few of the camps, and people staying anywhere they can, as we distributed a few tarps.
Finally a chance to make a dusk visit to Kathmandu Durbar Square after the quakes, a week after returning to Kathmandu from our GHT: Kanchenjunga to Makalu trek. This is nearly a month to the day after Nepal’s tragic 25 April 2015 earthquake. What I found was not as tragic as I expected, with locals selling their vegetables and goods amidst the ruins, some even selling out of their old, brick shops in the historic section. When asked ‘aren’t you scared?’, they laughed and responded ‘no, can you bring me my photo?’.
The old bricks of our exquisite temples and monuments will be replaced with new bricks, age-old wood will be fitted back into place, and the World Heritage sites will be rebuilt. Durbar Square will soon be its same beautiful social square, safer and possible vehicle free (this is only conjecture).
The first photos taken at the Ratna Park camp just outside Durbar Square, which were clean, not at all crowded, well guarded by Nepali military and supplied with clean water, toilets and medical posts. Plenty of room still on grassy spots, Chinese tents that house up to 20 people, various private tarps and tents.
The last few photos are of the Army Hospital & Durbar High School just outside Durbar Square, both historic buildings. The military has also lost family homes, haven’t received aid from the Nepali government but were still working for Nepal. Inspiring, all around.
Durbar Square has always been in my back yard, whether living in Thamel or Lazimpat … Many atmospheric morning runs, evening walks, daytime shopping trips, sanity stops amidst trek & work chaos spent here as well as just passing through on my bike en route somewhere else. Many stories, big smiles & lots of optimism!
Durbar Square
Rubble is being cleared every day; we missed experiencing what Kathmandu really looked like post-quakes. Aftershocks are still coming daily, five yesterday, the last a 5.0 which hit Rasuwa yet again. Some are felt, others not. My earthquake alarm goes off once in a while but often doesn’t detect the 4+ jolts.
The villages are what was most severely effected, and there were tragedies in so many regions, and yet so much hope. I’ve spent hours (and hours) watching footage of the quakes & relief efforts, reading articles, commentaries, reports, finding out what others are doing. There’s so much information to digest. Seeing the photos and videos is very poignant, especially of Langtang village which was totally wiped out. NYT (New York Times) has an interactive article with about 10 short video clips of the quake.
Lhakpa, Nuru & I went on a fact-finding mission the other day to the tented camps (tarps mostly, but often larger trekking tents & dome tents) and handed out several tarps to people who clearly needed them. There are issues to resolve with the supporting ‘committees’ at several of these camps, so this has been somewhat frustrating.
Each day we reach new milestones of understanding, many days end in compete frustration, most of the time I am totally overwhelmed and rely on friends here in Kathmandu to reboot!
Indian Summer Treks
Yes, they’re all running even though there are some ‘bridge issues’ in the region. They won’t affect our Nomads, Lakes & High Passes trek at all, and there is only a small chance we will have to reroute for 1-2 days on the Ultimate Ladakh trek.
As always, we’re running this trek in our unique ‘Kamzang-style’, with the best trekking food in the Himalaya (or so we’re told) and a great camping set-up!
Come TREK!
Limited spots left on this trek which Kim & Lhakpa are leading, so get in touch soon if you’d like to sign up …
How to Donate
Please donate to Nepal!
We can achieve so much with your contributions!
You don’t need to donate to us, there are so many other grass-roots organizations (as well as a few larger INGOs) that are doing amazing, inspiring and important things.
We will also contribute to some of these organizations once we have helped to rebuild in certain regions, and are looking for a school to help rebuild.
How to Donate to the Kamzang Earthquake Aid
1 – Send a check in $US:
Make out to Kim Bannister
Mail to Kim Bannister
PO Box 1178
Rockport, ME 04856
2 – Transfer via PayPal:
(Keep in mind we lose 3-4% of the funds via PayPal)
Transfer to kamzangkim@gmail.com
3 – Transfer to Kim’s $US First Bank Account:
Inquire for banking information
4 – Clear View Project
Friends have a 501c 3 account set up which will accept donations for Kamzang Fund.
Email kim@kamzang.com for details
Please contribute!
As always, 100% of your donations go where we feel they are most needed .
Where were we during the quakes?
Many people asked about where we were during the two quakes. All of the staff, including a group of 20 Tamang porters, and I were trekking the GHT: Kanchenjunga to Makalu trek which started 20 April from Bhadrapur in the far east of Nepal. When the first earthquake struck on 25 April we were just arriving in Kyapra (or Gyabla) in Kanchenjunga, a day’s walk before Gunsa. We were all fine but there were big shakes and we all barely escaped a large rockfall on a slide region that we had just walked UP (not across). The porters were almost all behind and came carefully over the slide area after the quake.
The next day for the 6.7 aftershock we were camping in Phale (Phole) at Phuntsok’s house, and watched as his wooden house shook from side to side. But nothing fell down there, nor higher up in Ghunsa or in fact almost anywhere else in Kanchenjunga or Makalu (Arun). After the second aftershock we gave the Tamang porters from Rasuwa the option to return home with full pay, but they decided to stay as they really had no reliable information.
Thank you all!
Namaste …
Make a Difference …
If you would like to help sponsor a child, donate to a program or contribute in any other way, contact Kim:
kim@kamzang.com
Namaste, Tashi Delek, Jullay & Thank You!