Our Volunteer Response to Nepal Flood Victims
Our first volunteer response from Scholars Abroad to Nepal flood victims in Siraha district , our volunteer team reached in the affected area with the urgent medicine, food , sanitary supplies and water . Nishchhal Kharal and local volunteers have actively supported this cause .
Here is our Nepal internship coordinator of Scholars Abroad ,Nishchhal Kharal writes from Nepal about his experience as a relief volunteer.
Flood is a means, Poverty is a cause.
Killing more than hundred people, deadliest flood of Mid — August 2017 in southern Nepal, flooded around 30,000 houses swiping about 1000 of them. However, this is not a new phenomenon, flood comes every year unlike earthquake in Nepal — but it seems that we have not learned anything to overcome effect caused by these kinds of natural disaster. What we seem to be interested is in doing few days of relief work after the media shout-out loud.

Most of the people living in Terai region are below poverty line, comparatively illiterate and has limited access over resources and decision-making process. They are settled around nearby riverside as a result in every monsoon, river gets flooded with heavy rain cutting the lands, swiping houses and impacting people’s life. After that, government announces relief package for these flood victims — which most of the time doesn’t fully reach to the real victim. And this repeats as a cycle every year.

Poverty is the major problem of people living in plains. Inner-Madeshi people doesn’t get enough to eat, doesn’t have better place to live and has inadequate access over public facilities like transportation, education and health service. Thus, these people are not only victim but also vulnerable. These people are victim of poverty, despite of effect caused by flood. Most of the houses in core terai is made up of mud and has very less utensils. When heavy rain falls, entire village is flooded — but water goes in few days as it came. Therefore, it is very essential to understand — that the real victim of flood is those family who lost their family member and/or their house and land by flood and landslides. But in media it doesn’t looks so, media usually exaggerate this information and reports affected population showing entire area flooded with water. And this picture is used for several days, even after the water is gone.

I fell government knows this rationale, thus while declaring relief support, it usually plans accordingly with different relief package to differently affected population. But, it differs in the relief work of civil society sector. Every year urban civic community in Kathmandu and other cities raises quite good amount of funds but accountability and transparency lacks in huge extent. These people prefer road accessibility to reach victims and often administration cost exceeds relief material cost. However, government also doesn’t seem accountable and transparent because action of government cannot be seen in the real field.

I went to flood affected areas of Siraha and Saptari coordinating with local youth group called Yuwa Dalan. I was already a part of their community — when I stayed in community and had a conversation with the local people. We had limited resources but distributed these resources analyzing effect caused of flood to the families living in a community. More than goods, we gave hope to these people by our presence and conversation. I saw people concentrating on their own work regardless of this tragic incident. This encouraged me to understand — Happiness is not merely absence of poverty and pain. It is this amazing feeling to enjoy what you have regardless of what you deserve and dream.

If you want to take part of such a relief effort , please visit our website and learn more about our program — https://www.scholarsabroad.org
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