Stories
March 29, 2017 • 2 min read
“I was in a pitiful state until GOAL gave me the corrugated iron”
"GOAL recently completed a project funded by the European Commission - Civil Protection and & Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) in Nepal that set out to provide shelter support to 1,500 of the most vulnerable earthquake-affected families in one of the most remote and mountainous districts in the country. A shelter package that included sheets of corrugated galvanised iron (CGI), galvanised iron wire, nails, a claw hammer, a handsaw and small cash grant, was provided to each of the beneficiaries to improve their living conditions. In an effort to reduce the adverse impact of smoke on people’s health, GOAL also provided each beneficiary with an improved cooking stove. Three beneficiaries from this programme explain how it has positively impacted upon their own lives and the lives of their families."
Yani Maya Tamang’s three-story stone and mud house was destroyed in the earthquake. A single woman with four children, she survived initially thanks to support from her village development committee which allowed her to build a shelter made from tarpaulin and some corrugated iron.
With additional support from GOAL this year, she improved the kitchen space adjoining the shelter and used the CGI sheets that were supplied to roof her kitchen. Wooden planks were used to raise half of the walls around the kitchen and CGI sheets have been used to cover the remaining wall section. She had also received Rs. 2,400 cash from GOAL which she used to pay for the labourers while upgrading the shelter.
“The kitchen is much more spacious and brighter now,” she said.
With help from GOAL, Yani Maya has also constructed an improved cooking stove in her kitchen. She says there is less smoke now as a result as the stove consumes less wood and cooks the food in a shorter time.
Sabita Karki from Betali has built her cottage in a corn field nearby her old house. She used the CGI that she received from GOAL to cover the roof on one side of her house and has used the old tarpaulin beneath the sheets to prevent her home from overheating. The galvanised wire has been used to tie down the shelter frames and secure the roofs.
The shelter also has a separate section for kitchen in which she has installed an improved cooking stove.
“I was in a pitiful state until GOAL gave me CGI,” she said. “I now have CGI roof on one side. If the rain seeps from one side, I can shift to the side (to avoid it). Thanks to GOAL for looking after me!”
After receiving the materials from GOAL, 70-year-old Harka Bahadur Khadka from Farpu had built his shelter employing local carpenters. However, they were not appropriately skilled and built the shelter without much technical knowledge. In fact, the poor condition of the shelter was apparent during ECHO’s monitoring visit in November, 2017.
When the condition of Harka’s shelter was realised, GOAL engineers supported him to improve and strengthen his shelter. Whole bamboo frames were placed on the roof and secured, while salvaged CGI was used to cover the walls and make the shelter more enclosed.
Yani Maya TamangSabita KarkiHarka Bahadur Khadka
