What happened in Nepal shocked the world. Not just because of the loss of life but also because of the sheer scale and speed of the floods. Massive flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border killed over 1,300 and left thousands more missing, sweeping away homes, roads and bridges in a matter of minutes.
As mud, water and glacial deposit left destruction in its wake, another story emerged: one of communities holding each other up, with togetherness becoming an important part of recovery.
From strength to support, your prayers can share hope to those affected.
A family who lost their belongings but found generosity
Shanti Maya Tamang was in a neighbouring village when her husband called to warn her a flood was coming. At first, she thought little of it as floods were a common occurrence. Then she heard the sound of the water and panic set in. Where was her family?
She ran for home, calling out until she found her nephew, who told her everyone was safe.
Shanti Maya assumed her buffaloes and cows were gone. They weren't – she found them alive, submerged to their necks in mud. She couldn't have got them to safety alone. Other villagers waded in alongside her to help move the animals to higher ground.
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We became landless within a second.
Unfortunately, her house didn't survive. Mud and debris tore through the walls, destroying everything. Now her husband and son sleep under a plastic tent by the road, watching over their ten buffaloes and four cows. Shanti Maya sleeps at a neighbour's house nearby, thanks to the hospitality of a community who’ve lost so much.
For more examples of how important community is, read our blog about rebuilding community and connection among women affected by war.
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A lesson in the importance of community
At Shree Chandra Jyoti Secondary School, roughly 250 families were sheltering together, sharing food brought in by different organisations and whatever space and supplies they had.
Laxmi Chitrakar, who lost her home to the flood, was among them. What she has now is largely what the people around her have been able to share.
This is what community resilience looks like in practice. Not a dramatic rescue, but hundreds of small decisions – to share a room, a meal, a blanket, a pair of hands moving livestock through the mud – made by people who've lost almost everything themselves.
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Partner organisations and an international community
Working alongside the ACT Alliance network, this is the support Christian Aid's partners in Nepal are providing.
Our partner organisations are already on the ground in the hardest-hit and poorest communities, working alongside the same neighbours, local leaders and volunteers.
They're reinforcing something that's already happening, with the resources and reach that individual communities don't have on their own. They provide essentials, like clean water and hygiene kits, dignity kits for adolescent girls, food and cash support so families can buy what they need most.
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Why support in Nepal is still needed
The need is still urgent. Families like Shanti Maya's have lost not just homes but livelihoods. She took out a loan to build up her small buffalo and cow farm and now doesn't know how she'll repay it. Many, like Laxmi, have no documents, no savings and no sense of what comes next.
It’s not too late to give. Your support means our partners can keep providing water, food, shelter and dignity to communities who are simply trying to get each other through.
Be part of a bigger community. Donate today and make a difference.
