In a bid to lower their sufferings, a team of Nepali film workers - "We For All", has initiated "Project Roof" campaign, under which they are constructing temporary zinc-sheet houses for the quake victims."Of the 100 houses planned, construction of 70 has been completed," said Suresh Darpan Pokharel, the project coordinator, who is also actor/director. The team has constructed 40 such houses at Rampurdanda of Kavrepalanchowk, 15 in Sangla of Kathmandu and another 15 at Thansingh VDC of Nuwakot.
While the campaign was initiated by the Nepali youth film workers, it was later supported by Non-Resident Nepalese (NRN) Hong Kong Nepalese Rescue and Volunteer Team that has been collecting funds from Hong Kong and distributing relief materials in various quake-hit areas, and Ratan Thapa, a UAE-based NRN.
Thapa had contributed Rs 225,000 for building houses in Sangla while the Hong Kong team supported the construction work in Thansingh VDC.
The organizers on Sunday evening handed over the zinc-sheet houses and ownership certificates to the locals at Jhor of Sangla and Thansingh VDC-3.
Artists including Keki Adhikari, Benisha Hamal, Jeevan Luitel, and Barsha Shivakoti among others were present at the certificates handover functions.
"The houses are okay, we are happy to have them," said Purushottam Risal, 65, a local of Thansingh-3. It costs around Rs 12,000-15,000 to build one zinc-sheet house, informed Pokharel.
The catastrophic magnitude 7.8 earthquake and recurring aftershocks destroyed almost 90% of around 1,700 houses in Thansingh and killed 18 people, according to Ujjwal Adhikari, a local. Adhikari, who lost his parents in the quake, said the zinc-sheet houses are a huge relief to the locals, especially the impoverished ones.
Speaking at the function, Pokharel said they have built houses for only those who cannot afford to build one. "We want these houses to be model in the village, so that others who can afford can build such houses on their own". More than 10,000 such houses have been built across the country with our reference, added Pokharel.
"Initially we started relief distribution campaigns in Kavre, Gorkha, Nuwakot, Kathmandu, and Bhaktapur among other districts," said Prasamsha Bhattarai, one of the eleven board members of the campaign. "Later we realized that tents and tarpaulins wouldn't withstand the storms and monsoon rains. So we decided to build temporary zinc-sheet houses instead".
After constructing houses in Sangla, the team had hired the locals for constructing similar houses in Thansingh of Nuwakot thus helping the locals in income generation. "We are even ready to work for free, if needed," said Bibek Kumar Shrestha, a local of Thansingh-3.
The team has reached Gorkha district on Monday evening and plans to construct a health post after conducting field observation. It will also construct 30 zinc-sheet houses there, according to Pokharel.
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