Volunteers needed to help plan and rebuild the village of Laprak in Nepal's Himalayan mountains which was destroyed during the earthquake of April 2015. I read this on Facebook via the organization Adopt- A- Village and a few hours later we were signed up to go. Little did I know what an impact the people and the village would have on us. After the earthquake the village was deemed unstable. Many of the villagers moved to higher ground to build a safer community. Due to the slow moving government the new village is still tents and metal shelters and no promise of an timely solution. Some people are starting to migrate back to the old unsafe village and rebuild their homes to have access to running water, a milder climate and a sense of normalcy. However, the schools, health clinic and other community services are now in New Laprak which is over a two-hour straight uphill walk. Many children walk this every day to school as do the elderly people in the village and the women with young children. The only way to get supplies between the old and new villages is by horse, mule or carried on the backs of the villagers. There are no modern comforts for the people of Laprak—no electricity, no indoor plumbing, no hot showers, no heating (it snows there!) or proper clothing. Many elders of the community walk barefoot, while children and mothers wear flip-flops with a pair of socks to keep warm.

Nepal has a reputation for cute children, and yes, they hit the gene pool lottery and are extremely beautiful. But what really moved me was the determination, the amount of demanding physical labor and the cultural traditions upheld by the women of Laprak. At age three the girls have their noses pierced and most have their marriages arranged. They are up before sunrise to gather firewood high in the mountains, fetching water, cooking meals on an open fire inside their meagre shelters, and all the while carrying their youngest child on their back in a basket up and down steep hills between villages.

With the earthquake, the conditions have even gotten harder for the villagers and there is uncertainty in the future but that has not broken the people of Laprak. The village people are resilient, generous, friendly, and always welcoming by placing their palms together, bowing slightly and extending a lovely namaste.

Adopt- A -Village is an organization of volunteers who are supporting the village of Laprak directly and not using any international aid groups. Every Ringgit, Dollar, Euro, Rupee donated is given directly to the village. If you are interesting in supporting the rebuilding of the village or visiting Laprak to volunteer either email me or visit Adopt-a-Village on Facebook to learn more.