“I remember father construct our house with his own hands. He would ask me to bring mud to him and I remember I would fill it up in a sack. It would be heavy and I would drag it. I was tiny but the weight of the sack didn’t kill my determination. It was just a stone house with a warm kitchen and a room where everyone collapsed after a hard day’s work. But that was home. Growing up I learnt some carpentry and masonry from my father and I went to Malaysia to find work. When I heard about the earthquake and saw my hometown destroyed, I returned. It was a relief to see my family safe. But it was heavy on the heart to see our house turn to mere rocks. I had many memories of childhood in that house. Everyone’s houses had fallen down too. So I abandoned my sadness and started building shelters for my neighbours from what was left in the rubble.” (Mandos Ghale, Barpak, Gorkha)

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