We arrived in Nepal on April 28, 2015, 3 days after the earthquake. The first thing we did was to meet my sisters in Kathmandu and wait for the arrival of my father and my little brother who were still isolated in the Langtang Valley area. While waiting we went to different urban camps that people made with plastic sheeting in the open spaces between the buildings. Nobody dared to sleep in their houses yet because there were many aftershocks and they thought that at any moment there could be another big earthquake, as it happened a few weeks later… these camps were formed by the local people and by people coming down from the mountains. The people from Langtang and the surrounding area gathered at Yellow Gumpa, a monastery in Kathmandu near where my family lives. The monks gave the gardens to the refugees who soon numbered almost 400 camped there….

REFUGE CAMP IN YELLOW GUMPA

We were with them during 10 days trying to help as much as possible but the most we could do was talking to them and analize the situation to find out the best ways to create projects to manage future helps. It was here were came up the idea of Langtang Disaster Relief Fund and its creation, the name was chosen by them. During that time we were in touch with he media (Tele5, el Mundo and Routers) to explain the world the situation in Langtang, the dimensions of the catastrophe and show the way of life in the refugee’s camp, our aim was to give as much international diffusion as possible to make everybody know and obtain more and more help. Before our leaving, we distributed 500 eur into some different families (the most needed ones) and we spent 200€ in clothes and a small video camara to record some interviews to be used later on to better explain the situation.

We left with a pain in our hearts and with the promise to make all the possible to help them. They are my relatives, friends and neighbours. I know them since I was a child and I have the feeling that I can’t ever feel good again until they feel good too.

PASANG IN THE CAMP