Corona Updates

Corona UPDATES!

- generel
- our equipment
- story about Sukre
- what is the plan
- what you can do

Lack of planning and equipment have led us to a lockdown for more than 60 days and only now has the virus reached us.
People are locked up, the shops are only open for 1 hour a day, where people argue about food and are concentrated in one place.

Nepal has recently felt the big blow from coronavirus as increased rate of new patients are diagnosed every day. As of 8th June 2020 the number of total patients infected exceeded 3500 with total deaths count of 15. The number of new patients is soaring despite strict lockdown measures implemented by Nepal government.

The nationwide lockdown has not only affected the daily lives of people in Nepal but also for those trying to get back home from abroad. Nepal is a developing nation and about one –third of the Nepalese people have gone to foreign countries for employment. Now, because of the virus Nepalese abroad has been instructed to go back to their own country. According to Indian Embassy in Nepal, in India alone, 60 million Nepalese are either living or working who desperately wants to come back safely to their families. But coming back isn’t just that easy.

Already 10,000 euros have been invested in relief supplies and another 5,000 will follow.
Nepalese customs have been holding our aid supplies for 7 weeks and instead of releasing them and serving our fellow human beings, they play us off.
But we received the good news from Chay Ya Austria that they finally managed to get the relief supplies free through hard work and if everything goes well, we can distribute the much-needed protective suits, protective masks and safety glasses for our friends in the Healthpost and in at the weekend in the surrounding hospitals!!!!!!!!!!

Sukra Tamang, who grew up in Bird’s Nest also happened to be in India seeking employment last year. He had quite a story to tell. Sukra travelled from Goa, India to Nepal where he faced the unthinkable.
It took him four days to get to Nepal’s border in a bus with others just like him, trying to get back home. All they had for eating was beaten rice and instant noodles. Upon reaching the border they were not allowed into Nepal and had to wait overnight on a cold ground with few hundred people and no blankets. Sukra said, “There were probably 700 people without food or blankets just waiting to get past the border.”
However, the next day they were let into Nepal only to go through more heartbreak. Luckily he and a friend found a bus that was bound for Kathmandu but the local people interfered and caused trouble saying that they won’t let the bus leave anywhere. Therefore Sukra had to stay another night on the border in government provided camps.

Sukra said, “The policemen patrolling the camp were very rude and treated disrespectfully.” Sukra felt humiliated. The police were looking at him as if he is carrying the virus and didn’t allow him or people to walk around or approach any shop for buying food. He said the food provided with them was with such disrespect, that he barely felt like eating even though when he was hungry. He believes the stay at the camp in Nepal’s side of the border was like a prison where people were treated inhumanely.

On the next day Sukra and his friend were able to find another bus to Kathmandu and finally some hope began. The journey to Kathmandu from Dhangadi took more than a day again. There were no stops along the way as people on the highway didn’t allow anyone to stop. As Sukra described, whenever buses came, people came out with sticks and if anyone stopped they were ready to go all the way. Everywhere Sukra felt threatened, especially when he got into Nepal. People and even the authorities felt no remorse while they humiliated their own citizens who were just as scared as anyone. Finally he was able to get to Kathmandu and he contacted the municipality about his presence. As instructed, Sukra went into isolation in Pharping, prepared for people with recent travel history. He mentioned he was treated well and had a
good meal at last. Almost like home. So, after staying for allocated period of time in isolation and PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) Test, He is given a green light to go to his family. He is happy to be back but what he’s been through can send shivers down on anyone’s spine.
There are too many people who have gone through similar situation like Sukra’s, some even worse. People have been reported dead while waiting to get past border due to starvation and proper sleeping arrangement. Poor management around borders and poor hearted authorities has made people to suffer unnecessarily in many cases. Sukra’s story was just one of them.
There are still millions of people on their way home on days to come and if things are not improved, everything will become worse than it already is.

Humanitarian Organization like BlinkNow initiated by Maggie Doyne who is CNN hero herself for the incredible work she did in Nepal for children education and sustainability, is working and helping people who are stranded in border with as much help as they can with basic life supportive means. Friends for Nepal - Himalayan Development Aid is proud to be a think alike nonprofit making organization to partner on this great humanitarian act and would be enthralled to share some responsibility with the organization BlinkNow to make things better for all or at least few hundreds.

How to help?
Friends for Nepal - Himalayan Development Aid has planned to support directly on the root level with cooperation of BlinkNow providing an Aid and with that buying basic goods which is presented below:

Mommy-baby kit:
1 toothbrush = 11 npr
1 toothpaste = 21 npr
1 soap = 14 npr
1 pack Oral Rehydration Salts = 7 npr
1 cerelac baby cereal = 325 npr
1 pack of pads= 33 npr per 7 pieces
1 diaper pack= 80 rupees per 6 pieces
1 KN95 mask= 130 npr

For bedding:
1 mosquito net = 280
1 mattress = 600
1 bedsheet = 250
1 piece of foam to sleep on= 140
Mosquito repellant or coils= 100

Cleaning supplies:
Toilet cleaner: 75 npr
5 litres Phenyl all purpose cleaner: 350

Protect the health care workers because they need to care for everyone else in the camps and community.
Reusable PPE: 4000-5000 npr (varies based on quality.
5 litres Clidex to sterilize and reuse PPE:
Hand sanitizers: 500 ml = 500 npr
Surgical Gloves: 14 npr

One emergency food kit for a family for two weeks or whatever food we can get to the camps:
1 bag 25 kilo bag of rice: 1500 npr
1 kg Dal: 165 npr
1 litre oil: 180 npr
1 kilo salt: 25 npr
2-3 kilo vegetables: 200 npr
Water purification piyush: 25 npr

Others:
Water stands with foot petal locally made: 6,500 npr
Temporary toilet: 7000 npr raw materials

This is the moment when we gather together and put our efforts on what we can really do.
People need to help people and not treat each other like prisoners. On these desperate times, Humanity will win only if we unite otherwise it won’t take time to fall apart when we divide ourselves. We venture ahead!

Please go to our page www.himalaya-development.org/de/aktiv-helfen/online-spenden/  and if only you give a bit, with all the drops of Humanity we will create a ocean of LOVE  <3  <3  <3

Thank you dear friends, who suported us already in the name of Humanity
Future4children and Nepal Anders: Simachhetra Rahit Grenzenlos Without Boundaries and many privat donors.