NEPAL | Even on the darkest days
Hope cannot be buried
It was the worst disaster caused by an earthquake Nepal had seen in nearly a century. The dead were numbered at 7,040 with countless missing and tens of thousands homeless.
The Salvation Army was looking for survivors in between the aftershocks. Some were tragically hurt. Many injured children were separated from their parents.
Some people had lost all their relatives, their homes. Families that had made it through intact huddled in tents together. Depending on The Salvation Army for food, they were thankful for the daily supply of rice, vegetables and fruit.
The rural villages suffered the greatest damage. One young woman named Rita carries supplies through mountainous terrain for hours.
Rita makes a short stop to refresh herself before she continues the arduous climb. The supplies she carries will provide her family with nourishment for two weeks.
A family whose home was too damaged to live in safely is visited in their tent by Major Kyle Smith of The Salvation Army. He encourages them that they can have their life back again. They are grateful for the comfort and the supplies offered by The Salvation Army.
The oldest son shares his experience in the quake. “When I woke up the earthquake came in. Bricks were falling on my head. I heard the sound of big overlapping.
When I saw that the walls were cracking I was feeling afraid”, he remembers.
They have lived in the tent for nine days along with ten other families. He estimates they will all reside there for two to three months. Despite the severe circumstances, the people of Nepal manage to smile. Their smile they say is because they are so thankful for the support given them by The Salvation Army.
