Taking advantage of the quieter monsoon season, HQ staff member, Nima Dawa Sherpa made the long trip back to his village, Gudel in the Solukumbu region with 60 tarps to replace those already worn out by the harsh mountain weather. This small mountain village, located at 2000m above sea level is home to 60 households, most of which are Sherpa, but also with a smattering of Rai and Tamang.
Mountain views from the village of Gudel at 2000m
The journey itself was pretty epic, requiring a 2 day drive on some pretty dubious roads, followed by a 2 days of uphill walking.
The road to the trailhead to Dawa’s village
This community was left pretty much unscathed by the 25th April earthquake, but the second one on the 12th May caused cracks and damage to many of the homes and the local school. The villagers made the long journey down to the nearest bazaar and purchased their own tarps in order to protect their broken homes from the elements. However, given the strong UV rays at such altitude, alongside battering from wind and rain, these are already worn out and new ones were required.
Upon hearing that Dawa was coming with new tarps for the village, community members walked down to the trailhead to meet him and help carry the heavy loads back up the mountainside.
The villagers who came to help carry the tarps
On the long walk to the village
Upon arrival the locals gathered to meet Dawa, collect their tarps and thank him for helping them out. As per the local custom, for every tarpaulin given, Dawa received a khada (scarf) as a blessing and offering of thanks.
One tarp = one khada as a blessing and gesture of thanks
Happy and grateful villagers