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GoFundMe Rebuilding Nepal Final Update
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRukman_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=5043555c7d1fc2156257b1d86eb3acfa 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRukman_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=5cd8db4ed0030a2776327999ad87d570 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRukman_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=99bd8c4699c31a0727f1c7e7465a6ade 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRukman_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=e7b2a5c0c19482250881a1cf09a01c53 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRukman_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=ae122d7023a4042d9e659d84e0772bd8 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRukman_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=4b9b7754b67b074ead855173aa414d65 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRukman_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=9992e60d4e088ea84f5315ff137a03bf 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRukman_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=361a4a09e05e0f05fd593cfe973c9b50 1600w)
Rukman Sunwar, kitchen staff (wearing the hat), with his parents and children in front of their flattened home.
Amazingâ€â€giving out more than $80,000 to 19 families in Nepal was nothing short of amazing, reports MM guide Deana Zabaldo.
We all gathered in the village of Chaurikarka, just outside of Lukla airport in the Everest Region. With everyone’s home village scattered north, south, east, and west, some people walked two, three, or even four days to reach this central meeting point. It is a journey they make every season to reach the start of the Everest Base Camp trek, and we timed the meeting so that some of them who had work this season would already be in Lukla and not need to make a separate trip. Instead of flying into Lukla, I also hiked in (with my boyfriend), and it was a few days of stiff climbing up and down — a reminder of how extreme the mountains are, not only for trekking, but also for farming and for transporting in construction supplies that will be needed for rebuilding.
PREPARATIONS
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FDawa_family_and_house.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=e8ca8aef99368562f0e6325595d22436 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FDawa_family_and_house.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=1cb97cdae31814f1f8ea07b247245581 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FDawa_family_and_house.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=5b046f1b37457918d137a39ffe0c998f 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FDawa_family_and_house.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=c258a6518878174a367df040d9977db3 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FDawa_family_and_house.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=18f143e4850f5ee660577b188a198049 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FDawa_family_and_house.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=fe41d2a3a4c412ad1b6aab51703763ef 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FDawa_family_and_house.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=2f5ff8a03d6d0bacb187e5a697fbec18 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FDawa_family_and_house.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=16ac13cde590ee58cc78dbad34fd7f86 1600w)
Dawa, his family, and their new home.
Arriving at the home of Lead Nepali Guide for Mountain Madness, Dawa Sherpa, his wife greeted us with tea and potato pancakes (one of my favorite Sherpa meals!). Dawa had completed reconstruction of his home only 2 weeks before our arrival, so the whole family was enjoying bedrooms, kitchen, warmth, and comfort. Dawa returned from trekking the same day, along with Mark Gunlogson, the President of Mountain Madness —and then we got down to some serious business: counting money.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_counting.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=998aec06518d3262c476b0826f77a702 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_counting.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=6c3e7c37bf7d0f86ec9a369d2244663c 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_counting.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=cd17c614df89599d7e48db393689e34e 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_counting.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=eababd42e8c23d7d03d68db0da1fa672 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_counting.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=a821e7850bebe96835fa0e8875b94065 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_counting.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=ffb3fd99396abcbe5808683eff755166 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_counting.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=f85e1a5deb389504c46316c5f0b21c86 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_counting.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=69d3a4e4e23ad36bc795bdc3714f0aa4 1600w)
Eight million rupees in cash was fun to hold…but required a team effort to divide and count!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_holding.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=c605371a09de3e256f23509c9b4e2585 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_holding.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=a282f44bf7304cd385eec05037c1ae65 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_holding.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=c1763ad5f2e492b9b1e9be5c12e60313 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_holding.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=eb8f339f1de3e91b7003cc8917de598f 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_holding.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=f5960e74bfff6b65a680ac06c1ff6ed0 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_holding.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=bfae458a84ebc24ecd8576afed92532c 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_holding.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=54b0bb816bd4e87fa5401e49202e5eb4 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney_holding.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=0f31a15df67a2ee1d0692f175d7ba813 1600w)
I should tell you that Nepali money feels a bit like monopoly money — $1000 equals roughly 100,000 Nepali rupees, so $80,000 equals EIGHT MILLION rupees. By the time we had converted everything to Nepali rupees, we had roughly twentyâ€eight pounds of cash. It’s more money than any of us have held in our hands, and we took a moment to enjoy it. It then took 5 of us an hour to divide and count everything — that’s five man hours of counting. Whew.
TEAM GATHERING
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_gathered.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=a5e4ee1cecc6496deef4dec31e16966b 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_gathered.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=dd706b9d76d51578fa0b7dada1994cb0 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_gathered.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=0a24cca35481be1272c9511ef3567862 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_gathered.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=f7d81deb0789bac2fb02522eb37a2d40 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_gathered.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=4b8fcf8422727f9e5e1462deb88978a7 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_gathered.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=24e6d8de0ca4385b24ea9dec55a58b4d 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_gathered.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=349c4497549fcd720519a3bb5401c349 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_gathered.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=58c285f2911dc570bec1c0eed591ccee 1600w)
In the morning, our 9:00 am program started right on Nepali time at 10:30 am. It was a crisp, cool, sunny day in the mountains, and we all sat outside together. I began by thanking everyone for their work. I’ve written this in an earlier update, but it bears repeating: at a time when homes were collapsed and families were struggling just to eat and sleep, our Mountain Madness team stayed with our group and ensured that we got back to Kathmandu safely. I couldn’t have been more grateful nor more proud. We have truly awesome staff — hard working, honest, and always with a smile on their faces. They have become family over the 8 years I’ve worked with Mountain Madness, and I love working with our team! Mark also thanked the staff and noted that it is because of everyone’s great work over the years that so many former clients and their friends were moved to donate to help rebuild.
Awesome work from the Mountain Madness staff support our treks every step of the way for years!
RECONSTRUCTION PLANS
This gathering was the first time everyone was together since the earthquake, so we spent some time discussing what everyone had experienced after the earthquake. Most people went home, cobbled together some kind of temporary housing, and set to work planting their fields. Although the Everest Region is supported by tourism, most of the staff are from the middle mountains of Nepal and are reliant on subsistence agriculture for their food. The start of the planting season came shortly after the earthquake, and villagers could not afford to miss that agricultural window. They spent the summer working their fields and most of them had no free time to focus on home construction — they made do in tents, bamboo huts, or other temporary structures.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTemp_shelters_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=cdefe9257a2e3b311337494b73bd4109 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTemp_shelters_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=fe12bcf02893235e7d11b99413a9bdbf 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTemp_shelters_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=531de65f1a7fae3f74748026e0e0d98e 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTemp_shelters_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=3e2525afcee858c01d29ca37ff0f0c4a 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTemp_shelters_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=a4af8c0338cd3d2e70094ef22e5d501e 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTemp_shelters_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=7b89551f3e8957e89d6cc05f9d628e03 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTemp_shelters_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=74a20214949b21d660b56a3618d3c3e2 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTemp_shelters_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=bfab0af9a0ff9a11bfbfca556a5d4775 1600w)
Temporary shelter may mean 6 months, a year, or more.
Some quick statistics:
- Of the 26 Nepali staff on our trip, 6 had no damage to their homes, 4 had partial damage, and 16 had homes that were destroyed or damaged to the point they were too dangerous to stay in. (Of those 16, only 2 had substantial financial help from wealthy relatives.)
- Of the 20 families with home damage, 18 were sleeping in tents or rough huts through the monsoon and 2 were in Kathmandu. Now, 2 people have rebuilt their homes — 16 are still in temporary shelters and the 2 in Kathmandu will also stay in temporary shelters when they go to rebuild.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FReviewing_damage_to_houses.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=d01e70f03692592084ff93c4b398639a 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FReviewing_damage_to_houses.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=8ddf2d2d556342deb9a6bba69b875947 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FReviewing_damage_to_houses.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=53470893a8c4442ceda597f4df97a27b 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FReviewing_damage_to_houses.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=5516c147b88d0d0f22dc5d53f4271525 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FReviewing_damage_to_houses.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=f6adb92fbbf78fee25f0b38d7f4159b8 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FReviewing_damage_to_houses.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=1bcaa771fc585eb6203ff3fd15822790 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FReviewing_damage_to_houses.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=5d6c45dffaf04c55d65e613607b84346 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FReviewing_damage_to_houses.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=f5f341d36c9421d852013f9cf145c46b 1600w)
Reviewing damage to houses.
- Of the 20 families with home damage, 2 have completed reconstruction, 4 more have started rebuilding, 3 said they haven’t started for financial reasons, and those 3 plus another 11 said they haven’t started because they have had no free time in the agricultural season.
- Most people have not yet salvaged supplies from their old houses and demolished the old building to clear space for new construction for two reasons: with the fields full of crops, there is no space to pile stone and wood, and their neighbors are afraid that demolition work will result in falling stone, etc. that could damage nearby crops. After harvest, everyone plans to start salvage and demolition — all by hand.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FNgima_Nuru_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=5389d76d294499d90b2276f0a07a23e0 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FNgima_Nuru_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=a99f26370e2385ac6823bdf91cfa370b 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FNgima_Nuru_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=a03742b07c677241964bf26aab063484 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FNgima_Nuru_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=63bfb7d80ff567fe520c638f9d0dc482 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FNgima_Nuru_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=71f26bc493629871b08a3e6f369a8a14 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FNgima_Nuru_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=43771cabc6695cf84d5b668116431abd 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FNgima_Nuru_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=4d479dbab7c069720b0c3a4e37f8972f 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FNgima_Nuru_and_family.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=7bf3411bdcc95cb2a2144641af9fdc72 1600w)
Ngima Nuru Sherpa, yak driver, with his wife and children in front of their destroyed home.
We spent some time discussing what is happening in everyone’s village, the rising cost of labor and materials, the comparative cost of carpenters in different villages, and ways to improve seismic stability as they rebuild. My boyfriend, master builder Andy Mueller, kindly sourced and supplied a handout in Nepali that showed simple ways to strengthen Nepali houses
. Although this information was produced by the Nepali government, not one person in our crew had ever seen it before. Information isn’t being effectively disseminated to villages, so we gave everyone a copy and asked that they also share it with other people in their villages.Everyone wants to build stronger, safer homes, but they are struggling with cost limitations. Materials like concrete and rebar are very expensive, especially once they are portered into a remote area not along the road. Wood is also scarce, and in some areas is the most expensive building material. Labor and material costs have nearly doubled since the earthquake and with the ongoing border blockade. Around Chaurikarka, homes that might have cost $7,000â€$8,000 are now costing $12,000â€$15,000. Construction may be slightly less expensive in the middle mountains due to more local materials like bamboo and wood, or better road access in some areas. It remains to be seen how much the homes will actually cost, especially with costs continuing to rise.
SHOW ME THE MONEY!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHanding_out_the_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=3b58d83b03baf4f6abbb1255fca95282 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHanding_out_the_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=411e4bf1f5f217e59bfcf61ef24a35ce 360w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHanding_out_the_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=b3b2433333ef251c28ac256c1496eb47 360w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHanding_out_the_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=7f3e4abffff9523d3934e767d3a0cd58 360w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHanding_out_the_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=8662490041f30328f8b09e9912c556e6 360w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHanding_out_the_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=31aae066e4198b3ac98744960c1da4f2 360w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHanding_out_the_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=9638aaef0822d660baf994ffef6b9287 360w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHanding_out_the_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=3e935fffc91bd31822e4ef23b8b36cbf 360w)
Handing out the money!
Together — you, me, all of us — from donating and from helping to spread the campaign on Facebook and other outlets, we raised $87,456 (as of Oct 16, when the campaign closed). Special thanks to stellar fundraiser, Gillian Mueller in Washington DC, for an event that raised over $10,000 and also deep gratitude to major gift donors ($2,000â€$5,000) Katie Hoar, Jilyan Perry and her West Seattle fundraiser, M&M and our anonymous major gift donors as well!! I was also amazed to see how many people took a moment to donate $20, $50, $100 and more and also the dozens of people who gave multiple times — those donations really added up. Your support counts! The only fees that came out of your donations were the obligatory fees that GoFundMe takes out, $6,909, and also about $250 in bank fees for wire transfers. No administrative fees or other operating expenses came out of the money you donated.
Financial issues in Nepal are rarely transparent, and it was very important to me to be clear with all of our team (and with all of you donors) about the money we raised. I spent time in advance talking with Dawa
Sherpa (Nepali Guide) and Dambar Rai (Head Cook) to determine how we would divide the money. Our team is mostly Sherpa and Rai ethnic groups, and I wanted to be sure that both predominant ethnic groups had a voice in the decisionâ€making. Together, we came up with amounts that seemed right to everyone. I then printed out a full accounting, handed it out, and reviewed everything with them, step by step, showing that not one rupee was unaccounted for. They had never heard of anyone in any NGO program in Nepal, doing this. (Which is not to say no one has, but if they have, it is a rare instance.) I opened up the discussion to questions, making sure that everyone was completely clear about the money before we distributed any of it.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=be4f85be7ff1bd6192c36b0c606693b1 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=00a17adacc709354de6931a955a44cc5 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=4b1f6401e04c964d6632582f426b4d4f 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=b009a79e9fdc15bf513951829baff5b7 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=21321019a12e977b8c95f3667f326d9d 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=9bd0e13ace437d122fcd4c42a5411818 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=c8ba3c570fc0b2ab67267a0add73fd29 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=ff023e5745b29844b63aff7cea347833 1600w)
Reviewing the finances, line by line.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=2fc5926008a5b99d44a3829f66247a8a 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=29347a62bb7d5bbf81c18f1af4704a62 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=340d3cb4526bc2b9b0c4439bc07638ce 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=b4e9a0f3a8da6b5e4e7498006e895dc4 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=30bccfc06d49efb0e11e547add9f5355 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=89a8f1f41d4ac1c01e96d900fbcbfdcc 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=972188dcf04b185b520fa819f85e9754 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FFinancial_discussion_2.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=35cae6bba4acd163fb35e80ed902f94d 1200w)
Clear financial accounting that everyone could review — setting a high
standard for transparency.
As I had hiked in over the prior week, I had enquired in villages about reconstruction funds and learned that the government had not yet given any money to anyone I encountered. Small grassroots nonâ€profits from other countries, often with a longâ€standing relationship to a particular village or area, had distributed reconstruction funds of $1000â€$2000 per family in some villages. A few members of our team who live in Chaurikarka had received similar funds, but more than 15 of our 20 gathered staff had received absolutely nothing from the government nor from foreign nonâ€profits. (To be clear, I am talking about money for reconstruction, not temporary relief supplies of food or tents.)
From the Rebuilding Nepal campaign, we gave out:
- $4650 each to 14 families with destroyed homes.
- $2600 each to 6 families (4 with only partial home damage and 2 with destroyed homes but substantial support from wealthy relatives in Kathmandu or the U.S.).
- $792 for repairing the Chaurikarka community stupa (at the request of the community which is the home village of Mountain Madness in Nepal and because Buddhists believe that the religious stupa must be repaired first in order to protect the whole village).
Please Note: the amounts above are converted back into dollars and vary slightly from the actual amount due to multiple wire transfers at slightly different exchange rates. Full accounting that the team reviewed is available here
.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_w_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=7d6c8e4d0865e30e6d02bf2904b8983c 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_w_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=5b44190e73ffb84fce558ebb64369dfb 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_w_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=92ec615800e05263813ec7eb14d15405 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_w_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=58cb7b153681c6f8cdac9db219fb04d2 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_w_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=b5f2d16e04593c3f1e6f70406e6e88b0 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_w_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=2958f4e27dab4e561d9d97cb4f2e8427 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_w_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=43827bea8e523c507a725120e7206199 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGroup_w_money.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=3962dd0fbea8dbc9252a819150e4203b 1200w)
Our Mountain Madness team with the funds they received.
HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fsaying_thank_you_w_prayer_scarves.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=06a240001db360f499a30e90a24a72d2 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fsaying_thank_you_w_prayer_scarves.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=5e9309b8f97faf425b7c53a76d36e15f 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fsaying_thank_you_w_prayer_scarves.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=0ba845fd1a84da06560b5594dc5142ab 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fsaying_thank_you_w_prayer_scarves.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=da49247460d4150c4556ce7fe245bf71 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fsaying_thank_you_w_prayer_scarves.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=54f7cb2f54bdc34747e250fe877f38ba 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fsaying_thank_you_w_prayer_scarves.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=690f8116f7f14c48b83e877ee3e7b2af 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fsaying_thank_you_w_prayer_scarves.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=c1d2a9e4cd6015f4ae8c14c8b5df2845 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fsaying_thank_you_w_prayer_scarves.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=c742741d421f45bb4c2537b699cf3947 1600w)
Saying thank you with prayer scarves.
The ability to substantially contribute to people’s lives, wellâ€being, and home reconstruction filled me with both joy and sadness. The whole team came up one by one to thank us and put Buddhist prayer scarves around our necks, which brought me to tears. I was happy that nearly 550 of us came together to help these families rebuild. I was honored that we were able to put money in their hands, which is what they need more than anything right now. I was proud that we raised so much together and are able to give a truly substantial amount towards the cost of their homes and the security of their futures. I was also saddened to hear how much they have struggled during the past few months, how hard life and living conditions have been, and how uncertain their future is. Although I feel we have given more than I could have hoped, and more than any of our team expected, it is still not enough to complete a home. It’s uncertain if the government will offer any financial assistance, particularly in these areas which were further from the epicenter of the quake.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSukra.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=6bef3230259e4466dc4b7270bbde6524 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSukra.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=7f403e4d49008f82b3c0db015501cc71 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSukra.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=658ae0bfdf51f926c9754d6e393ce83d 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSukra.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=137d02ce01b6f3c217106c3269ec79e6 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSukra.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=ab229cb86eab55ea5803294081f1a2fc 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSukra.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=898dfc0f855af18c0617975223c7bd45 1051w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSukra.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=72adfbfc3df89d942bbc5169d2f4c218 1051w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSukra.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=3bf69b524bf17cdf961e98ffc394d17c 1051w)
Sukra Mohora, kitchen staff, with his wife, sister, mother, and children aged 3 years and 15 days — his wife was about 3 months pregnant when the earthquake occurred, and they’ve been sleeping in a makeshift shelter ever since.
For the time being, however, our staff were ebullient to have cash in hand to begin rebuilding their homes. They were buoyed not only by the financial support but also by the emotional support of knowing that people halfway around the world are concerned about them and interested in their wellâ€being and their future. When I asked them about the future, they had their characteristic smiles — and an optimism that will help sustain them in the months to come. Nepali people have always proven to be amazingly resourceful and selfâ€reliant. They have lived in these mountains, under the harshest conditions, for centuries, and although none of us can see how it’s all going to work out, they approach it dayâ€byâ€day, doing what they can, and hoping for the best.
GET SOME, GIVE SOME
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGiving_out_clothes_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=fc30f2bc959848a2b20fc7287b60b50e 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGiving_out_clothes_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=11c2b7ce39b5a529c47851990d211024 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGiving_out_clothes_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=45817d603a078c25f5e08f712cc8c138 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGiving_out_clothes_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=62b977e05a709a0ada4f8a8548a8187b 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGiving_out_clothes_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=cd19ca69d88430be05d385db816fe703 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGiving_out_clothes_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=ddc988f57382ef9fb9c53050ffa663cc 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGiving_out_clothes_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=8baba2f03602b9341ef7ba731e9a30f0 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FGiving_out_clothes_1.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=c8c29240a0a38d437beaf56e4bd9da95 1000w)
One final activity was left for our program…Mark Gunlogson brought over a huge bag of clothing donated by Helly Hansen, one of Mountain Madness’s corporate partenrs. Most of it was children’s clothing, so after handing out the adult sizes, we made an unusual request of our team. If you’ve traveled with me, you know that I’m often doing unusual things — like gathering clients and staff for tea together so that we can learn about each other’s lives or having clients serve the final meal to all the staff after they’ve worked so hard for us on the trip. I explained to the staff that Mark & I wanted to do something a bit different. We often give them clothing for themselves and their families, but this time we asked them each to take some children’s clothing and, as they hiked back to their home villages, to give the clothing to someone very poor. This not only enabled us to reach some rural families with warm clothing before the winter, but equally important in my opinion, it allowed our staff to be not only beneficiaries but also benefactors. They were now in the position to help someone else — and that is an empowering experience.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJumping.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=e17418bed471e2926821854dfa481828 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJumping.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=3674cb96ec9cd7a3405064ca10bbca45 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJumping.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=936593cd0f96adb515ac24d24220193d 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJumping.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=8574f2b5cccad50cffce58fba00f9f01 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJumping.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=6dc5297382bb7b946ddc978290105568 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJumping.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=fdab8aaa142e6ee5a7247b4f306f0a8f 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJumping.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=d0578834138e413923f307a966558db9 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJumping.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=8a9db8f10690b9a7a75309491d4b83c6 1000w)
So that’s how we wrapped up…on a high note and hopeful for the future!
SO MUCH GRATITUDE TO ALL OF
YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!
NEXT IN NEPAL…
The Go Fund Me campaign for trek staff has ended, but rebuilding in Nepal continues. My next step is to
continue my work through Changing Lives Nepal (CLN), the charitable fund I started in 2008. It is CLN’s goal to find a better, more cost effective method of building in Nepal, rebuild a school and a community center, and continue our current programs: the children’s home, support for schools, and organic cash crops to support rural families. I was in Nepal this winter looking into building designs that use locally available materials.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRammed-earth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=eea0737b96c2b610f1ea6138677c1719 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRammed-earth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=3a3752687bcb5f555f45713281a3a782 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRammed-earth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=dfe67e192b1e273a68afeef1575e7e1e 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRammed-earth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=eeb8170de9489bf5ab040c18d8c9a762 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRammed-earth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=d691519f96e6b7160cba5cd20614cdab 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRammed-earth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=2d9d90cbe79e1c9d3cf74b7755439186 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRammed-earth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=509321ec9ed03ca824a23405d794b07d 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FRammed-earth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=64438e903d0e54a32bba51186085094a 600w)
Could rammed earth homes be a solution to Nepal’s crisis?
This and more on the Changing Lives Nepal Facebook page or in the newsletter.
Rebuilding in Nepal is a longâ€term process that will take years. Please consider making a 2016 donation to Changing Lives Nepal to support innovation in rebuilding. Thank you!
-Deana Zabaldo