We always hear about police in developing countries and how bad they are for corruption and such. Being an expat here in Nepal I had been curious about the police and have been pleased with most encounters that I’ve had with the police here in Nepal.
After the first earthquake last year I went to the police department with a guest so she could see about getting evacuated. The police department in Changunarayan is located on a hill at the front of the village. There had been about 5 small buildings there, but they had all fallen quite badly the day before.
While we were there another earthquake began! The officer who was talking with us started telling me to sit down. I couldn’t, the earth was moving so violently beneath me. The shaking seemed to go on for quite some time, even though it was actually less than a minute.
From this vantage point, I could see plumes of smoke where more homes were falling, and where more people must have been losing even more. It would rain soon, which would mean more loss, more trauma.
That was almost a year ago. Last week a police officer came to the guest house and requested a donation to help rebuild. I was surprised when Kamal and I went up to the police department to see how we could help.
These pictures are as the police department looks now. The small office buildings have no concrete foundations, nor do they have concrete and re-bar construction; they will not be safe for the next earthquake.
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| Note there are no concrete pillars or even a concrete foundation. |
As I watched the chain of events happening around me for these past 11 months I continue to be amazed by several trends: few complaints about the day to day hardships, the slowness of help for the people and the sadness of the landscape that surrounds me.
I do not want our brave police officers being among the first casualties when the next earthquake comes. We lost 9 during the first hours after the first earthquake as a building came down on them. This was the earthquake story that touched my heart the most deeply.
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| This is the kitchen and dining area |
Our police chief told me they only need $10,000 to fix it to the way they plan it to be. Such a small amount to protect so many people. There are 15 officers who work there and sleep there. They will need to be our first responders when the next disaster comes.
Please help us to keep our first responders safe. If you’ve been to Nepal and got help from our police department or our Tourist Police Department I know you understand the kindness they show tourists. I thank you in advance for your support. We will have the crowd-funder for them soon. In the meantime, please use Our Fundraiser Link
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| Police officers often do 24 hours at a time. Here's where they sleep. |
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| This gazebo is the only thing that was there from before the earthquakes. |
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| This aluminum shelter is also used for sleeping quarters |
