11 May 2015 Røyse, Norway [Gry Haugen/tedNEWS] ADRA (Adventist Relief Agency) Norway has been allocated NOK 5 million (about GBP 500,000.00) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to erect 19 temporary school structures while renovating 19 schools in Nepal after the devastating earthquake that killed more than 7,675 people struck the country on Saturday 25 April 2015. Around 4,750 schoolchildren will thereby be able to return to school.
Gry Haugen, Communications Advisor ADRA Norway, interviewed Britt Celine Oldebråten, a member of the ADRA Norway Network Emergency Response Team, who travelled from to Nepal 36 hours after the big earthquake, about her involvement in Nepal.
Haugen: Britt Celine, what were your first thoughts when you heard about this earthquake?
Oldebråten: Working in ADRA, one is always following the news very closely and we picked up the news about the earthquake immediately. Being part of ADRA’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), I was put on alert from Sunday morning, 26th April. As I was able to deploy for 3 weeks, I bought my ticket that afternoon and went to Nepal on Monday 27th, arriving the next day at 6 am. I was lucky because my flight landed on the first attempt, whereas many other flights had to return to either Bangkok or were sent to Calcutta in India. My flight was full of humanitarian workers and rescue teams with dogs.
Haugen: How did you experience the arrival to Kathmandu?
Oldebråten: Landing in Kathmandu, I could already see the bright colored tarps in open spaces between houses, and going to the ADRA office, I saw many people living outside on the streets and in the gardens. Arriving at the office I realised the staff were working on the ground floor afraid to enter the other floors in case of aftershocks. Now, two weeks later, we are using all three floors, but whenever there is a heavy aftershocks, everyone runs out.
There is normally several aftershocks during the day/night and just last night a rather strong one woke me up.
Haugen: How will you describe the situation as you see it in Nepal, two weeks after?
Oldebråten: For one I, who have never been in an area affected by an earthquake, noticed destruction everywhere, but I realised that the area where the ADRA office was situated was one of the more fortunate areas. From Thursday to Saturday of my first week there, I was out in the field and the scenario there was much worse. 90-100% of the houses are either totally destroyed, or if still standing, so damaged that they are unsafe to live in and will have to be torn down and rebuilt. As many as 45-50 people sleep under one tarp in these villages. With monsoon rains on the way, people will have to stay a long time in temporary shelters before they will be able to start rebuilding.
It is also an economic challenge for many people. It will take a long time and a lot of effort to recover.
Haugen: In one of the villages, you met a special little princess. Please, tell us about it.
Oldebråten: Yes, there are also happy stories. While I have been in Nepal, I have not missed the news about the Royal Princess being born in the UK. However, not all girls are getting this much attention, still every single girl is special. About a week ago, I met a four-month-old Natini in a small village in Kavre district in Nepal. She sure is the princess in her family. Natini’s mother and grandmother were holding her close at all times. After hearing their story, I understood why. After the earthquake, Natini was buried in the rubble of their collapsed house. The villagers searched for one hour before they managed to rescue her. When they got her out she was limp and blue in the face. After spraying water on her face, Natini started crying, and everyone was relieved to see that she was alive.
There is also a story from a few houses further up the road about a grandfather who rescued four of his grandchildren from the rubble, but lost his sister.
Also the school in this village is also damaged and will need to be rebuilt.
It will take several years to rebuild Nepal and ADRA is working to support as many people as possible. The best way you can support this ongoing relief operation is through the bank account of ADRA in your country.
If you would like to make a donation to ADRA Norway, please follow this link and make sure to mark your gift ‘Nepal’: http://www.adranorge.no/English-site [tedNEWS]
tedNEWS Staff: Miroslav Pujic, director; Deana Stojkovic, editor
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