A few months before earthquakes devastated Türkiye, another deadly quake shook parts of western Nepal.
“Our neighbors realized my little girl was alive in our collapsed house. They all came to dig her out," said Padam, a 40-year-old father of three, who was far away from his home when the 6.6-magnitude tremor struck before dawn November 9, 2022. On that terrible day, Padam lost his wife and both of his young sons. Only his 11-year-old daughter Bishna survived.
“She was sheltered by her mother’s body.”
Dreams crushed in an instant
It had taken Padam more than two years of hard work in India to save up enough money for the house. He built it with his own hands. Now that it is gone, Padam and hundreds of people in villages like his are living in makeshift tents, a tarp held up by a single pole.
A 2-year-old boy named Ishwore Bohara lives in one of those tents. His grandmother Harka recalls pulling him from the earthquake rubble by his leg and running out of their collapsing house. Her 13-year-old daughter Tuli did not make it out alive.
After nights of sleeping outdoors, Ishwore grew very sick. Harka took the toddler on an 8-hour bus ride to a hospital. “He’s getting better, but not completely,” she said.
Already a widow before the quake, she was helping to raise Ishwore while her son worked far away. At home, Tuli “was my helping hand,” she said, weeping. Now she and Ishwore are alone.
After tragedy, survivors face challenges
Children like Bishna and Ishwore are now at risk from the elements. Thousands of families were affected by the quake, and many remain homeless. "It’s so cold at night. It’s a mountain area," Padam said. "Living under a tarp is so hard. We are unable to make a fire. We can’t set the tarp on fire."
"We’re still living inside the tarp," Harka said. "We’re fearful of snowfall or rain."
In some cases, families have no homes to return to. In others, they’re scared to sleep in a building that might fall again. “I still am afraid. In the night, we don’t sleep well. We keep thinking about it,” Harka said.
"We have the fear that anything may happen."
Your love provides comfort
Your love has been a beacon of hope for families like Padam's and Harka's. Thanks to your generosity, they have received warm blankets, clothes and padding to cover the cold ground. They will also receive psychosocial counseling to help process their trauma, loss and fear.
Your supports helps fathers like Padam, widows like Harka and children like Ishwore all around the world when they need it most. In places like Nepal and Turkey, your compassion is a reminder that God is always there...
...until your love reaches every neighbor.