Unity during Uncertainty
The Fredericksburg-Kathmandu sister city alliance started after the devastating earthquake of Nepal in 2015. Humanitarian citizens of Virginia, U.S., with help from their affiliated partners, joined forces with Nepalis to help victims of the tragedy. Since then, the alliance has continually provided support for academic and cross-cultural exchanges, welfare of the community and the environment, art, trekking and tourism. The sister cities association has existed for a fair period and is a valuable partner cum contributor to their fellows in Kathmandu.
The Sister City committee members were directly involved in the Nepal emergency food relief program of 2021. They reached out to single-woman organizations, toles, and simply searched around to identify victims of starvation in their respective communities. Unfortunately, there were too many of them, especially the daily wage workers, and our food packages were limited. So, the committee members handed over the packages to those who were in the direst need of help. The food ration was distributed to 83 families, 3 orphanage homes and 1 disability center.
Altogether, 321 individuals benefited from the food relief program. The food ration was distributed physically while maintaining social distancing protocol and relevant preventative measures by the committee members.
Similarly, COVID Awareness Campaign was held from June to July to the public from various parts of Nepal. The campaign aims to acquaint with the new variant of corona virus and its risk to humankind. Moreover, it intends to deliberate about the preparatory measures to prevent the transmission of COVID.
The awareness campaign was targeted towards COVID patients and their families, staffs from governmental and non- governmental organizations, campaigners, advocators, students, and
women who are engaged in or interested to work for COVID prevention at household and community level. Altogether, 301 youths and public from various sectors and parts of Nepal participated in the awareness campaign. They are implementing the learned knowledge in their daily life. The campaign was appreciated by participates for the content and the clear presentation of the speakers.
Mayor of Kathmandu and Fredericksburg Sister City along with Civic group of Kathmandu Fredericksburg Sister City
DISCUSSION
The great earthquake of 2015 befell the whole nation, especially shaking central and eastern Nepal. Death toll reached almost 9000, and ~22000 were injured. Six years later, the affected people are still living miserably under the uncertainty of their damaged houses that could collapse any time. The poor Nepalese with old houses got hit the hardest; many are living in temporary shelters to this date. The earthquake brutally affected businesses and brought economic recession and unemployment. To add to the misery, the government failed to put on commendable effort for the victims’ relief. Faith in humanity was lost and now the same history has repeated, albeit in the form of the pandemic. With a visibly neglectful and politically unstable government, the Nepali citizens only ever pray that no disaster shall strike them again, for they might not be capable of overcoming it. Nepalese had just been learning to recover from the terrorizing memory that is still fresh like it was yesterday. They had learnt to cope with the losses of the earthquake, and businesses had finally been rebuilt.
After the first wave of COVID-19 hit Nepal in March 2020 and the second wave in 2021, the citizens on the poorer side of the spectrum yet again received the lion’s share of the suffering. Neither the national government, nor most of the decentralized governmental bodies have proven aid efficiency in response to the COVID threat and implications of the lockdown. The few instances of governmental intervention in relief distribution have also been observed to be quite inequitable. The privileged remain barely affected whilst the poor are pushed to the brink. Lockdowns have been announced without proper planning, back firing the purpose, and leading to increased COVID infection cases. This desperate situation calls for support from international donors and organizations. Apart from unemployment or getting laid off from their occupation due to lockdown, general disorder within families and societies is also one of the contributing factors for all these hapless people to have their hopes hanging onto fragile prospects of charity.
Perception of covid awareness campaign
Pre Test and Post Test were conducted among participants to evaluate the efficiency of the program. 9 questions regarding the knowledge and practice for the prevention of the COVID disease were set up for the extraction of the perception of the participants.
Though there were the participant’s well awared and conscious about the cause, precaution, proper care and handling of the existing life threatening disease COVID, the respondents awared rose alarmingly after the training. More than 50% of the participants have been awared about the new variant of the coronavirus and its risk to humankind, proper handwashing technique, preparatory measure to prevent from the disease like maintain social distance, sanitize hand, proper use o mask. The tendency to take care of self and the family members in case of the contact of the diseases seems positive.
CONCLUSION
COVID cases do not seem to cease anytime soon but the political instability has had the Nepali government distracted from the greater problem at hand. This has left the poorest citizens vulnerable and yearning for support. Keeping in mind the staple diet of majority of the Nepali population, nutritional food packages along with COVID prevention resources were distributed to the victims of both the earthquake and the pandemic; the elderly with no family to rely on, widows and single mothers who could not go to earn their daily wage, and the destitute people devastated by the earthquake. The beneficiaries were very happy to receive the ration. Members of their neighborhood expressed much respect and appreciation for the food relief program and offered to welcome our friends from Fredericksburg if they ever visited Nepal.
Similarly, COVID Awareness Campaign has been appreciated by the participants during the program. The campaign was able to provide the clear knowledge and ideas about the proper management while staying home isolation and to protect their families and communities from COVID 19. Hence, the Fredericksburg wing of the sister city alliance was introduced to our communities with impactful and admirable recognition. Committee members of the Kathmandu wing, too, are highly encouraged by the outcome and motivated to continue the service in the coming days.
RECOMMENDATION
Larger funds will be required to cover a substantial number of areas/ communities and provide relief to both the earthquake and the pandemic lockdown victims.
As the lockdown is continued and many people are jobless and government is not able to address these issue and provide even single rupees to them, these kind of food relief should be continued in the future days.