As one Nepali proverb goes, "dine ko hat mathi", the hands of donors are always on top (of receivers). This applies to current relief and rebuilding and reconstruction efforts in Nepal. Everyone is trying to help after the devastating quakes and over 200 aftershocks, killing more than 8,600 people and leaving 25,000 injured. Besides the human loss, massive structural damage and uncountable loss of animals and agricultural crops and stored food grains have been recorded. People are still in trauma and fear of another quake.
Nepal government tried its best to handle the crisis. But with many helping hands from all over the world, we have to be watchful about the relief operation and rebuilding in the country. Are these relief and rebuilding efforts corruption free, culturally appropriate and locally viable?A total of 49 districts are affected by the quakes but 14 in the central region are the worst hit. While everyone is affected, poor and rural farming families especially indigenous groups such as Tamang, Newar, Gurung, Thami are mostly impacted. Everybody needs help in this situation, but priority should be given to those who are vulnerable and underserved. Many Tamang villages surrounding the capital suffer poverty and geographical isolation and they are largely affected by the quake. There have been some reports of misconducts and inappropriate images posted in social media. It was evident that some government resources and foreign aid materials were misused and utilized for personal and political purposes.
This also raises a question about the cultural appropriateness of these efforts to the affected people. Many survivors outside the capital and in small towns are mostly farmers and commoners who live with limited resources and geographically challenged terrains. Due to the rush or lack of knowledge, it was likely that the people engaged in rescue and relief operations did not maintain many cultural norms. There are issues of power relation and cultural appropriateness.
The first responders and the rescue/relief workers included local to international army personnel or professionals and the volunteers. Are they professionally trained? If someone is not well trained for a specific job and s/he may attempt to do something that can make things even worse. What if many do not know the local culture? Are they oriented enough before they are deployed to a specific site? These are important areas to understand to become a successful volunteer.
The key issue is the power relation between the donors (datas), and the receivers. This is happening to all including the government that has been seeking and asking for help. A lot of national, regional, and local NGOs are experiencing the same. But do they have the power to say no or bargain for pricing, quality, amount, or brand of the relief materials (locally purchased or imported)? What is the relief materials distribution channel? Do they go through a proper route or through a political cadre? Are these materials really reaching the individual survivor/affected people? Who controls and has access to these resources and relief materials before it reaches the survivors? Do the recipients have the ability to ask questions about the quality and amount of the items?
People cannot just receive whatever is not beneficial, as some of them are not very useful items. We hear stories about date expired medicines, damaged food grains, culturally unaccepted items (beef masala which is not acceptable in certain groups). There are reports of corruptions and dishonesty including the involvements of current cabinet ministers, their political cadres and their gainful engagement in the relief distributions. Our goal should be helping people in need, not taking advantage of their misery.
Relief materials include medicines, zinc sheets, sanitary supplies and tarpaulins. Besides some staple food items such as rice, lentil, water and salt, often times, instant noodles are included. It is true that people in crisis do not have many choices, but we are making them dependent on imported unhealthy food. Nepali economy is based on subsistence agriculture. Food sovereignty and security is a key issue.
Who controls the seeds (the local farmers or the international biotech companies)? Are we allowing genetically modified imported seeds that make poor farmers dependent on them? In terms of rebuilding houses, are we using local resources and traditional knowledge? This can be not only cheaper, but also sustainable. We also want to keep our cultural heritage and identity by designing and making local rebuilding projects.
For short and medium terms, providing immediate shelter and alternative housing is fine. In the long run, however, we need to develop new viable but safer housing options, resettlement or reconstruction of the damaged. Most agencies are providing tarpaulins and zinc sheets. Others are suggesting construction with local rather than prefabricated materials. Many housing businesses are likely emerging but will the business help people in reconstruction? The government also needs to regulate and monitor their work. Locals also need to think about the best options for recent need but also in the longer-term housing.
Are these relief and recovery projects culturally appropriate and useful for the people of rural Nepal? The quake relief efforts might have put them in further risks and added more traumas to them on top of their loss of family members, property, agricultural crops, and animals. We need to provide medium and long-term relief to farmers by providing items like seeds and subsidized fertilizers. Besides the reconstruction of housing, roads, and other physical infrastructure, we need to think of people's psychosocial and mental health issues as well.
This can also apply for post-quake assessment and planning for recovery and rehabilitation and actual program implementation. We all must be mindful of local culture and cultural appropriateness. We must act now to receive and only accept relief materials that are needed and are suitable to our culture and local situations. While rebuilding our nation, we need to use the local resources and traditional knowledge that is feasible, economically viable, and culturally appropriate. We should also plan to restore agricultural lands, and recover seeds and animal resources.
The government through major banks can provide loans and subsidies. It can also make appropriate policy changes and introduce regulations. We do not want to allow genetically modified seeds and imported varieties of plant and animal breeds. Let us utilize this quake as an opportunity to build a new Nepal.
The author is a social and health researcher based in Honolulu, US
tamang@hawaii.edu