Vulnerable group in Nepal finds home through India initiative

It has just been some months that Rana Maya Jabara (JBR) had shifted to her new house in the main area of Gorkha Bazaar. Her earlier house, which stood tall in the city, was damaged by the devastating earthquake in April 2015.

Rana Maya then took shelter in her neighbour's home for more than three months as she had no roof of her own to live under. Though she had built a small hut to live in, she couldn't fit in there because of the aftershocks and insecurity that prevailed while living there.

In the due course of time, she received her first tranche of Nepali rupees 50,000 but spent all it settling her dues and making pay-backs. She wasn't mentally prepared to build her own house. But the officials deployed by the UNDP for the reconstruction of houses in Gorkha convinced her to re-build the house and now she feels more secure while residing here.

"I got 50,000 rupees and I spent all. I used to think what reconstruction can be made by this mere 50,000. I was sure that I cannot do anything with the amount, which I first received and then asked the officials to make a single room without destroying the whole structure. They made the room as per my request. After this structure is built, I am happy and now I don't fear of winds, rains, lightning," said Rana Maya, one of the beneficiaries who have been accredited vulnerable for not having a family member to look after her.

Rana Maya, in her newly constructed one-roomed house, now runs a tea shop, which has enabled her to generate income for being self-reliant.

The Nepal Housing Reconstruction Project being run with the aid of the Indian government has reached the earthquake victims, who need assistance and help that is crucial to get aid from the government as well as to construct their houses.

"The houses like these which are to-be-built, and which are under construction, we have provided all possible facilities," Tara Dhakal, Communication Officer for the Nepal Housing Reconstruction Project, Gorkha, told ANI.

The Government of India is supporting the construction of 50,000 houses in Gorkha (26912 beneficiaries) and Nuwakot (23088 beneficiaries) district of Nepal. The GoI has appointed UNDP and UNOPS as socio-technical facilitation consultants for Gorkha and Nuwakot districts respectively.

The Indian government had committed USD 1 billion for the reconstruction of Nepal in the form of a grant and the Line of Credit. USD 150 million was allocated for the reconstruction of houses, USD 100 million as grant and USD 50 million to be drawn from the Line of Credit.