Japan govt to assist in reconstruction of Jajarkot school building

At Volunteer Corps Nepal, we invite you to be part of something bigger—a movement that puts people first, acts fast, and builds futures. Whether you are an individual wanting to volunteer, an organization looking to partner, or a donor hoping to make a real impact, VCN is ready to walk with you on this journey.

Because when we work together, we don’t just respond—we rebuild lives.

Japan has donated 12 recycled fire engines to Nepal under the  Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, Kikuta Yutaka signed two grant contracts under the Grant Assistance for GGP. The contracts involve the provision of a total of 12 recycled fire engines, aimed at aiding various municipalities in Koshi, Lumbini, Madhesh, Bagmati, and Gandaki provinces.

The signing ceremony, held at the Embassy of Japan in Kathmandu, marked a significant step towards strengthening Nepal's firefighting capabilities. The first contract, signed with Dhana Lama, Executive Director of United Mission to Nepal (UMN), will deliver six recycled fire engines to municipalities in Koshi and Lumbini provinces. The second contract, signed with Deepak Chapagain, President of Volunteer Corps Nepal (VCN), will provide six fire engines to municipalities in Madhesh, Bagmati, and Gandaki provinces.

Recognizing the scarcity of fire engines in many Nepali municipalities, Japan's initiative aims to fill this crucial gap. By partnering with UMN and VCN, organizations with extensive experience in social service and disaster relief, Japan seeks to maximize the impact of its assistance.

According to the Embassy, these recycled fire engines will serve as invaluable assets in safeguarding against fire hazards. The Embassy of Japan is confident that these projects will significantly contribute to enhancing fire safety in the recipient municipalities, fostering stronger bonds of friendship between Japan and Nepal.

The Embassy expressed its belief that the assistance provided by Japan will support the grassroots initiatives aimed at promoting human security and well-being in Nepal.

This article was published in Republica. Click here to find the article link.

Seasonal floods are a given in Nepal, and some are more destructive than others. Incessant rain from 2 August last week in Eastern Nepal had caused Kosi to swell, inundating several settlements of Udaypur and Sunsari districts in Province 1, and eroding the western embankment in the Dumribote area.

Some 2,500 families in Belaka Municipality of Udaypur and Barahchhetra Municipality in Sunsari had to be relocated following the flood and 20,000 people were displaced.

The good news is that the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, volunteers and locals moved quickly to rescue people who were then taken to shelters in schools and community buildings.

But even as evaluation of the cause of the 2 August flood was on-going, another heavy downpour in the area on 6 August added to the damage. At last 208 more families have been affected in Ward 1 of Belaka Municipality.

“We were on our way back after assessing the damage caused by the first flood when another torrential rainfall hit us. Three rivers on the way to Ramnagar had swollen and we got stuck,” says mayor Ashok Karki. “We were witness to the damage, it is the largest flood to have occurred in the area in the last 10 years.”

The water-logged houses have since dried up and most families have returned home. However, 67 families are still in shelters in local schools.

One of the organisations actively participating in the rescue, relief and assessment of the flooded area is Volunteer Corps Nepal (VCN) which was a first responder and helping in the relocation of the people.

The team in coordination with the municipality office has been assessing the extent of damage caused by the flood as well as providing relief supplies including food, kitchen items, hygiene kits, mats and mosquito nets. Financial support for the relief was provided by the Hong Kong charity Sowers Action.

Even though this year’s flood was not as devastating as the one in 2008 when the Kosi breached its eastern embankment, destroying crops and homes and displacing 70,000 people in Nepal and 3 million in downstream Bihar in India, experts say the Kosi will constantly search for its previous riverbed in its inland delta after flowing down from the mountains.

The Kosi drains the south and north sides of Mt Everest and Makalu and has one of the highest sediment loads of any river in the world. A barrage built in 1956 by India in the border has become a part of the problem because the river is now flowing 3 meters higher than the surrounding land.

Last week’s embankment breach could be a warning for the future as the climate crisis makes the monsoon more erratic with intensifying periods of droughts and floods, and increases the danger of multiple glacial lake outbursts in the catchment areas of eastern Nepal.

This article was published in nepalitimes. Click here to find the article link.

Monsoon is not just a season for people of Nepal, it's also a season of hope as most Nepalese depend on agriculture, and thus on rainwater, for their livelihood. But this same source of hope turns into a cause of despair as each year the excessive rainfall results in Flooding and Landslides all around Nepal.

This monsoon alone, there have been more than 614 recorded incidents of floods and landslides all over Nepal affecting a total of 7,365 households and 42,000 people, according to Ministry of Home Affairs, Emergency Operation Center.

One such catastrophic event occurred on June 17th, 2023, in Taplejung district of Koshi Province, where relentless rainfall triggered multiple landslides and flooding in the Hewakhola river, rendering hundreds of families homeless. Maiwakhola Rural Municipality and Sidingwa Rural Municipality in Taplejung were hit particularly hard, displacing 105 and 75 families, respectively.

In response, Volunteer Corps Nepal (VCN), a national NGO, collaborated swiftly with local authorities to provide immediate relief. Within the first week, they distributed essential supplies such as food, hygiene kits, tarpaulin sheets, and buckets to address the urgent needs of the affected families, the statement said.

However, the disaster inflicted extensive damage on infrastructure, with three bridges completely destroyed and several roads blocked. Consequently, 65 families from Maiwakhola Rural Municipality were forced to remain in high-risk areas vulnerable to landslides as they were unable to relocate to safer locations.

Recognizing the pressing need for relocation, the municipality sought help for construction of temporary resettlement houses; and thus VCN initiated the project's second phase in collaboration with partners such as NSET, CRS, and NHSRP and secured financial assistance from Start Fund Nepal and UK AID.

Remarkably, the resettlement project was successfully completed, and on September 25th, 65 temporary integrated residential dwellings along with 36 toilets and 18 water taps were handed over to the families affected by the disaster, all within a remarkable timeframe of just 60 days.

This article was published in The Himalayan Times.     Click here to find the article link.