Nepali tea sales help quake victims
Nepali tea sales help quake victims
NEPAL
Himalayan Homes Trust, created in response to the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015, is raising funds for victims through events featuring Nepali teas. Jenny Sherpa is married to Karma Sherpa who is originally from the remote Himalayan village of Chaurpatal in Ramechhap District where all the buildings of approximately 100 households were destroyed by the quake.
Since 2015, all the surviving inhabitants have been living outdoors under plastic tarpaulin and, with no help offered by the Nepal government, Jenny and her sister Joanne Carrigan decided to set up the Trust to raise money to provide emergency relief (rice, oil, blankets, and temporary shelter), to construct new ‘earthbag’ houses, and to rebuild other essential buildings.
A tea tasting event in London in October alone raised $925 (£750) from ticket sales, an auction, and sales of packets of the green and black teas from the main tea region of Ilam in the east of Nepal. Three days later Jenny and Joanne set off to Nepal to start work on rebuilding the village school. Earthquake-proof earthbag buildings are made by filling polypropylene grain or mesh bags with soil and tamping them solid. The bags are then used to construct the walls of houses, etc.
The trust has plans for further tea related events to raise more funds. Learn more: www.facebook.com/himalayanhomestrust0415