The 6.4 magnitude earthquake that shook northwestern Nepal on November 3, 2023, barely made the news.
Yet for people living in the mountainous Jajarkot district, it was the tragedy of a lifetime.
Your impact for earthquake survivors in Nepal
Thanks to the support of our compassionate donors, Corus was able to respond within 24 hours. In the immediate aftermath, you provided blankets, water jars, mattresses, and tarps and bamboo poles so families could build temporary shelters.
But you didn’t stop there — because a safe and sustainable place to live is one of the 5 Fundamentals everyone needs to thrive. To help neighbors recover from this disaster, your generosity:
1. Constructed sturdy shelters for 175 families who lost their homes.
You provided locally sourced wood, high-quality corrugated metal sheets for roofs and walls, and other construction supplies. These structures are safer and more earthquake-friendly than traditionally built homes.
2. Provided psychosocial counseling to 2,000 people who experienced severe loss.
The impact of trauma is immense. Counseling has been proven to help some individuals avoid developing serious mental health conditions following a traumatic event. It also helps people process their grief, find hope for the future and feel cared for in a crisis.
Meet the families you’re helping in Nepal
In an instant, Sabitra BK lost everything when her stone and mud house collapsed, killing her 4-year-old daughter. Her grief was immense.
“I used to work in agriculture, and she was always with me in the field,” Sabitra recalled. “We would eat together, talk and laugh. Now, she remains in my memory only.”
As a farm laborer, Sabitra was barely making ends meet before the earthquake. Afterward, she suddenly had no home and no money to rebuild. And late in the year, when temperatures drop to near-freezing levels at night, is no time to be without safe shelter.
“I am staying under a thin tarpaulin,” she said. “The cold and a fear of wild animals is always there.”
The makeshift tent Sabitra used as a shelter
Through Corus, Sabrita went through counseling to process her grief. Generous donors also provided materials and construction support to build a basic but sturdy home for her to begin again.
“Thank you for providing us with the shelter where I can stay safely,” she says. “If a similar type of light structure was constructed earlier, my daughter would not have died.”
Duddha Bir Kami also lost his home in the earthquake. “My house crumbled,” he said. “I could do nothing but watch the house fall down. I struggle just to obtain my daily food; building a new house would be like a dream task to me.”
Thankfully, Corus was able to help Duddha move out of his temporary bamboo tent and into a sturdy, more permanent home in time for winter weather.
“I got information from the local [government] office that [Corus] is supporting the earthquake victims by providing shelters,” he said. “Thanks to them for their support, I have hope that I will rise again.”
Thank you for helping families in Nepal rebuild
Everyone, everywhere needs a safe place to live, work and rest. Thank you for responding quickly when disaster strikes to help people overcome the challenges that keep them in poverty.