Shashi

Shashi
Betwawati 2002

Shashi lived next door, a cousin of my host family. He's sitting on a bench built into their front porch. If you were to sit there you might see his grandmother sorting rice, a group of women singing during the Teej festival, his mother removing kernels from dried corn, or one of his sisters jumping rope after school.

If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

If you would like to donate to UNICEF’s Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

Present day, Shashi lives in Pokhara, Nepal's second-largest city.
A couple of days ago, he and his friends filled up the back of an industrial truck with bottles of drinking water, and drove them the 143km to Kathmandu. After distributing that, they reloaded the truck with more water, as well as bags of rice and other supplies and drove it the curvy 93km to Betrawati.

(photo by Shashi Lamichhane)

Ganga and Ganesh

Ganga and Ganesh, mother and son
Betrawati 2003

My neighbors from a few doors down, I would walk pass their house several times a day.

If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

If you would like to donate to UNICEF’s Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

2011: Ganesh and his younger sister, in front of the small shop that his mother now runs in front of their house.

Sarju

Sarju
Betrawati 2002

The eldest of four daughters, Sarju looks out from her family's covered front porch. The porch, and the ground right in front of a house, is really like the living area. Tasks are done here; it's where you'd drink tea with a daytime visitor. As news comes mostly by bus and foot, doing things out front is a good way to keep up on current events.

If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

If you would like to donate to UNICEF’s Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.

Present day, Sarju is now a beloved primary-school teacher.

(photo by Sarju Thapa)