For people like Pattali Maya Gurung, the memories of that day are still fresh and the impact is felt every day. Yet, thanks to the generous support of people around the world and the hard work of World Renew staff members, Pattali and her neighbors are living with joy and hope as they rebuild their lives.
Pattali is 71 years-old and has spent all of those 71 years living in a small village in the Manakamana region of Nuwekot, Nepal. Unlike most women in her village, Pattali has never married. While this may seem to buck the local tradition, if you visit Pattali’s home the reason for her singleness becomes readily apparent.
Pattali was the oldest child of her parents. When she was three, her brother was born. Three years later, she gained a sister. Both of these siblings were born blind and deaf. Following their parents’ death, Pattali has spent her whole life taking care of them.
“The earthquake that struck Nepal did not discriminate when it affected people.”
“The earthquake that struck Nepal did not discriminate when it affected people,” said World Renew’s Director of Disaster Response, Ken Kim. “Imagine what it would be like to experience this disaster while being differently abled. If you couldn’t see cracks in the walls forming or mudslides coming. If you couldn’t hear people running for shelter, but could feel the ground moving. It must have been terrifying.”
Before the earthquake, Pattali and her siblings lived in a small home made out of mud bricks. They had a few chickens and grew rice on a field near their house. Pattli’s brother, Bam, worked in the rice fields. He made the trek daily and knew the paths and fields by memory.
The earthquake changed everything. The family’s home was completely destroyed. The landslides wiped out their rice paddy and left the terrain so altered that Bam could no longer make his way to his fields or farm as he had done for decades. To survive, the family sold off their livestock to buy food.
“World Renew has been actively working in Pattali’s village to provide food, water, shelter and other assistance for the past year,” said Kim, who visited Nepal in March and had the opportunity to meat Pattali personally. “What struck me about Pattali, especially, was her smile. It never ceased. The gratitude she and her neighbors expressed during my visit was deep and heart felt.”
“My brother and sister now have safety with a roof over their head,” she said glowingly. “Thank you for helping us.”
Through World Renew, Pattali received galvanized iron sheets and was able to build a new home for herself and her siblings. She also received blankets to help them stay warm through the winter, and materials to construct a latrine. Recently, Pattali was able to buy new chickens and goats.
She beams with joy and thanksgiving for the support she has received from World Renew.
“My brother and sister now have safety with a roof over their head,” she said glowingly. “Thank you for helping us.”
In total, World Renew has helped 33,131 people in Nepal over the past year. For more information about this ministry, please read the one-year update report.
As we now enter a second year of our response, World Renew has trained 110 masons in earthquake resistant construction techniques and will begin the process of building new, permanent homes.
This is your ministry. Communities and people are filled with hope, because you cared. Thanks be to God and to you.