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Nepal

Two years after the quake

"We felt the earth shake,” Uma recalls of the 2015 Nepal quake. “My brother, Umesh was just in front of me. The stable wall collapsed and I was trapped underneath it. I woke up in hospital, with a strange feeling of loss and in a lot of pain. I was missing one of my legs.”

“After that, I spent a long time at home in my room, until Jay, a Handicap International physical therapist, came to see me. [After weeks of physical therapy], I was given an artificial leg and learned to walk again. It changed my life."

Seventeen-year-old Uma was one of many beneficiaries supported by Handicap International following the earthquake that killed more than 8,000 people and injured more than 22,000 on April 25, 2015. Having worked in the country for 17 years, our teams took immediate action to help victims. The team continues its vital work in Nepal today.

Our donors' impact following the quake:

  • More than 16,000 rehabilitation sessions and psychosocial support sessions to more than 6,000 people in order to prevent permanent disabilities

  • More than 4,700 mobility devices such as wheelchairs and crutches distributed

  • More than 4,300 kits containing tents, kitchen kits, hygiene kits, and roofing equipment distributed to more than 2,200 families

  • Clothing, blankets, ropes, and mattresses distributed to more than 9,000 people during the winter of 2015

  • 5,400 tons of humanitarian equipment was stored in Kathmandu, Dhading and Bidur and more than 350 trips were made for 37 other organizations to isolated communities

  • Raised awareness to other organizations about the importance of including people with disabilities in their own humanitarian services, such as education and healthcare

  • Goats given to more than 160 households to provide a source of income

  • Financial support given to 294 households to help them restart business activities

Our work in Nepal today:

Rehabilitation

In partnership with the Nepalese government, Handicap International builds the capacity of rehabilitation centers so that people with disabilities can receive assistance devices and quality physical therapy. Staff members also educate community members about the importance of including people with disabilities, and work one-on-one to help individuals with disabilities gain the skills they need to play fuller roles in society. The organization supports mobile rehabilitation camps so rehabilitation professionals can reach patients in remote areas, and is gradually decreasing its financial support in order to coach rehabilitation centers to find their own sources of funding.

Inclusive livelihoods

Handicap International fosters the full integration of people with disabilities into civil society, particularly those who were injured following the Nepalese Civil War. Staff members counsel individuals to define a personal livelihood project, and then equip them with the skills and resources they need to obtain their goals (i.e. access to micro-finance funds, apprenticeships, or vocational training).

Community based disaster risk management

Handicap International works with local partners in Nepal to engage Disaster Risk Management stakeholders to promote inclusive approaches to Disaster Risk Management at the local, national, regional and international levels. Through promoting cross-organizational partnership, Handicap International endeavors to achieve effective inclusion of socially excluded groups such as women and people with disabilities.

Our work in Nepal goes above and beyond this and wouldn't be possible without the support from donors. Learn more about our long-term commitment improving the lives of people in Nepal.