Raising Funds

Over the past month there have been several fund raisers done for Hearts and Hands for Nepal.  It has all been so exciting to see people throughout the world contribute to this cause.


Close to the end of the school year, Heavah held a fund raiser at her school, Montverde Academy.  Before the fund raiser took place, Heavah stood in front of her school and shared her experiences and love of living in Nepal. She had a short presentation that described the situation in Nepal after the earthquake and the need to help rebuild schools.  A week later the fund raiser took place.  The idea was simple, but clever.  Students at Montverde normally have a strict uniform policy.  However, for this particular Friday students were allowed to wear jeans to school if they made a donation.  The fund raiser was a great success!

Madelyn (12) and Angelina (13) put together flyers for their school and collected items to sell for the Somerfest Flohmarkt (a fleamarket) at the International School of Hamburg in Germany. They were able to answer questions and raise awareness and money to donate to Hearts and Hands for Nepal.

They did a great job!

More to come!!

Focus and Opportunity

We have just received pictures of the village where we will be starting our project. These photos were taken yesterday by Sova, who is the daughter of our dear family friend, Najaman.  The buildings you see here are the homes of the residents living in our village, Machchhegaun Tole.  We will be getting the pictures of the school we will be repairing very soon.

I was a little concerned that the school repair would be a smaller project than we expected, as I have heard that it may only have cracks and it has not been completely destroyed. It will need repairs done; however, at the moment, we don't know the extent of the damage.  I wanted to make sure we had the potential for a second project, if this one would require less work (and therefore, less funds) than we expected. 

Us with Bishnu and his beautiful wife! 

As a result, I called our dear friend Bishnu.  Bishnu has gained a lot of recognition over the past year because he starred in a documentary called 'Meet the Mormons', which a short clip can be seen here. However, regardless of his recent notoriety, I would have reached out for his advice as he is one of the most humble, kind, and service-minded people I know. This project is not church sponsored, but I definitely wanted to ask him questions and seek his advice about his expertise in humanitarian work.  

What a delight it was to talk to him! I hadn't seen him since Sarita's wedding and I was thrilled to hear his voice, and he seemed equally as excited to hear mine.  As expected, he gave me a wealth of information, and most importantly, he told me that he knew of 2 other districts that desperately needed school repairs. He described to me that many of the classrooms were destroyed and that a few of the schools were flattened to rubble.  I told him our vision for Hearts and Hands for Nepal and he said he would be grateful if we could look at one of the schools to rebuild as he said he was concerned for the children because they had no place to learn.  He said for now, they will be using tents until the schools are rebuilt.  

This gave me goosebumps, as it was exactly what I was hoping to find.  He will be providing me photographs of the various schools along with descriptions of the repairs that will be required.  Hearts and Hands for Nepal is thrilled by this new development as it will be wonderful to not only repair one of the schools, but also have the opportunity to provide more for the children of Nepal.  

Please stay tuned, as we will soon be having an auction of Nepali goods, and other fund raisers for this amazing project.   All proceeds will go towards Hearts and Hands for Nepal.  We are committed to ensure that all donations will go specifically towards the materials and labor to rebuild schools in Nepal.  Your $2.00 donation could pay for a brick that will further a child's education, or your $500 donation could build a wall! No donation is too small to be part of such a wonderful project like Hearts and Hands for Nepal.  

Progress….Slow….But Progress

Perspective: Top photo is of my children at a temple in Patan in 2008
The second photo is of the same temple just after the quake

As you can imagine, things move slower in Nepal in the best of circumstances. This catastrophe has caused communication and transportation to be almost impossible. That hasn't stopped us from trying to create a plan for our project. We are moving, slowly, but steady. For the execution of the project we have a few things in the works:

1. Daily contact with my favorite person in the world, Sarita.  I met Sarita when we first arrived in Nepal.  When I first met her, she didn't speak a word of English, but I knew she was something special.  Over time, after living in our home for many years, she learned to speak English very well and now lives in the US.  She is an incredible person and an inspiration in my life. Since the earthquake, she has been actively engaged in many projects to provide funds for immediate relief. She is also busy working with me to get Hearts and Hands for Nepal focused on the exact right project for rebuilding in the village. You will certainly hear her name a lot as she plays an intrigal part of this project.

Skyping and planning yesterday

2. We have been trying to assess the situation in our village. We have heard that two schools are in disrepair and at the moment, we are working on getting photos to see how much damage is made and if the schools will need to be torn down or can be extensively repaired.  Unfortunately, many of the homes there are 90% destroyed and the clean up is the main focus at the moment. 

      

A home in our village that no longer stands

                                                 

3. Sarita's family lived very close to where one of the large temples collapsed (pictured at the top of this post).  Luckily, her sister's home was spared, however for several days her family had to sleep out in the elements on a small patch of dirt/grass (maybe 1000 square feet wide).  The dirt/grass area and large tarps housed 250 people who were displaced.  One of the women there had just given birth to a child 10 days previously and food supplies were given to her first.  Sarita's sister reported there was continual heavy rain, a lot of crying, and great fear amongst the people. Mothers lost their children and families were completely displaced.  Sarita said those sleeping in this area took shifts cooking and resting.  She said when the people finally rested they were heavily asleep. Sarita's sister was building a home and her husband used some of the wood for his work to create fires to boil water that was sanitary enough to drink.  

Sarita's mother and sister at her sister's home home in Kathmandu

 My boys in 2010 where the 250 people rested during the aftermath of the quake

Another photo in the grassy area outside of Sarita's sister's home

Sarita and her sister on Sarita's wedding day

4. At least two of Sarita's family members will be involved in the Hands and Hearts for Nepal project, thus getting income for their labor and ultimately, their family.  That is why this project is so very exciting.  This effort will bless the lives of not only those who will use the structure that is built, but also families will have an income that will allow them to survive during this very difficult time.  

Progress is happening.  More will continue.  

Don't Forget the Villages

This article in National Geographic clearly shows why Hearts and Hands for Nepal's project is so important. There will be a lot of money that will go into Kathmandu, but there are so many small villages (where people have called home for centuries) that will sadly be forgotten. Our project will focus on rebuilding one of the structures that was destroyed in the village. As it explains in the article, the communication to these villages is challenging at best, so details will come over time. Please stay tuned as we continue our efforts in moving this project forward!

Hearts and Hands for Nepal

Not too long ago, I took a trip with a very dear friend, Terah, so that she could show us around her old stomping ground.

We often ask ourselves "if you could live ONE place in the world and just feel HOME...where would it be?" Without hesitation she answered Nepal. When I visited I knew why. I was forever changed from my short time there.

Images still haunt me. 

I close my eyes and I can smell the dead bodies being cremated on the Baghmati River and when it rains on the coat I wear that day, despite being dry cleaned, I still get a slight strand of smell. I see the beautiful flower offerings so delicately arranged. I feel little hands on my body begging for a chocolate or money. I hear the twinkling of bells and ritual chants. I feel the dirt on my feet that is just there because it has no where else to go. I inhale the poverty like it is a different weight of air from what I am accustomed to...and maybe it is because of the altitude. I see children in the streets with no home, no parents, no food, no hope. I see the friendly smiles of the priests and I am instantly happy. I see the gorgeous temples of worship peeking above the crowds and revel in their devotion. I am comforted by prayer flags waving in the wind. I see families doing the best they can to make ends meet. I see people who would graciously give you the shirt off of their back when you have so very much and they have so very little. I see so many trials and tribulations for these people and yet - I cannot help but catch a bit of their triumphant, indelible spirit. This world the Nepalese live in is one of harsh conditions and yet they are kind and gentle and spiritual and generous.

This earthquake is a tragedy and I want to help these beautiful, warm people. Something like this will push them from their poverty to complete despair. I don't know how they can survive this. I know they cannot without our help. I have watched the news unfold. I'm still trying to locate someone there who has not checked in who worked for my family and made chocolate milk for my son every morning despite my pleads not to...because she loved him so much she couldn't help herself. And I find myself loving a group of people and not being able to help myself from wanting to help them. I just. need. to. help. Because my heart is breaking and I can think of little else.

So I started looking at the Charities that I already knew about. I have been trying to keep up on news from the inside - continually asking "have you heard from...?" and leaning on Terah, who used to live there, for information via her connections. Trying to figure out how to get there to help, but realizing that I wouldn't be as much help right now as I wished and going to a plan B...and then plan B morphed into something else...

And so I'm here, helping to create a very specific way to help them. A way to rebuild. Whatever we do will start out small but will be something significant. Right now the plan is to help a specific village outside Kathmandu where we can help rebuild the school. As needs are continually assessed (and we are SO fortunate to know people who can tell us what is really needed) we will proceed. The goal is this fall to build. I have never been more excited to work on a project as I am to work on this because it has real meaning, and real significance. I promise that 100% - every bit of money raised or donated- goes to help these humble people.

It is the deepest desire of my heart to help. I cannot go right now and try to find some of the people I have been fortunate to cross paths with in this life...but I can start here and now planning a way to help the future of this country. 

One person can make a difference.

They can!

You can.

And while I cannot personally soothe the sick at this moment or air drop medical supplies, I can help in this small way. Please use the donate button on this blog if you are interested in helping, every dollar helps. If you have a large sum or if you want to make inquiries or let us know ways in which your talents can be utilized please write to us at heartsandhandsfornepal@gmail.com . Also, know that if our friends there say: we need money for rice or bandages - we will probably send them some so your contribution can have immediate effect as soon as we hear from them. We will keep you posted on each dollar spent so you know that you are directly making a difference. 

How you can help:

-Donate to our little grassroots endeavor - and follow along!

-Donate to a much larger charity who has airdrop/medical supply capabilities such as Red Cross or LDSCharities. (I really like http://iwencanada.com/ as they are established, smaller and changing their initial focus during this time of the tragedy. They have information on their website) 

-Do a fundraiser. Email us for ideas and share yours here for others to see!

-Say a prayer or meditation. The Nepalese would appreciate it.

But please don't think that there is 'nothing you can do', because there is always something you can do!

Amber Lanning

Hearts and Hands

There is no doubt the earthquake of Nepal has deeply saddened the entire world.  We have been stunned by images of people digging through rubble where there once stood homes and temples. The human spirit to survive and help others has been conveyed through all images on social media and has humbled us all as we live our relatively quiet, stress-free lives.

Some of my favorite people in the world

The situation in Nepal has especially hit me as it was once where I called home. It was where my child learned to walk. It was where I learned about real poverty and compassion. It was where my husband learned to carve wood, and we raised chickens and bunnies. It was where I learned to work with soil, and live with rodents. It was where my children would play with their pet goat Randy, and find joy in the simplicities of life. We lived a blissful life, despite living without electricity for 17 hours a day, and the unsettling political environment.

Our ever growing garden

Nepal captured my heart unlike any country I have ever lived. It wasn't necessarily the gorgeous snow-capped mountains, or even the raw natural beauty donning prayer flags, buddhas and shivas. By far the grandest part of Nepal was the people. Collectively, I have never met a more humble, beautiful, hard working and giving people like the Nepalese. Though they had nothing, their desire to give was always so present. So many of them wanted to feed our entire family of 6 a complete dal bhat. My children loved sitting on the floor eating with their hands and our host was always delighted that they would eat every piece on their plate. Many times we could not communicate but their smiles and the sheer happiness on their faces was enough to tell us that they were getting as much joy from the experience as we were.

 We have since left Nepal, but my heart has always been connected. No matter what country I have lived in, I have always felt the need to go back to my beloved Nepal, and I have. My love for Nepal is undeniable, and for this reason I cannot sit back and simply watch the news. When I heard that the long awaited earthquake had finally hit, I felt compelled to do something. My first inclination was to hop on a plane, but for a number of reasons it was not the right thing to do.  I have spent hours contemplating how to help with real intent and purpose. As a result, I have put together an organization called Hearts and Hands for Nepal.

 This cause is dedicated to the building up of Nepal once again. It is a grassroots endeavor that will specifically focus on one project in a village that I have a special connection to. The village is near Kantipur, several miles outside of Kathmandu. At the moment, communication with people in the village is very limited and at this time I only know it has been hit hard by this earthquake. As a result, Hearts and Hands for Nepal will focus on rebuilding one of the structures that has been affected by the earthquake in this village. At this moment, our desire is to rebuild a school in the area, but a thorough look at the damage must be made to fully understand the need. Therefore, this cause will be ever-evolving as more information is given. This fall, Hearts and Hands for Nepal will be going to Nepal and executing this project. We will ensure 100% of donations will go towards this project so that it will benefit those who have suffered from this tragedy.



This blog will be where we will post photos and provide all information about the development of the project. This project will be small, but I will ensure it will be significant. If you would like to be part of this project, please click the donation button on this blog. No donation is too small. If you have special talents you could also contribute to this cause, please contact me at handsandheartsfornepal@gmail.com. Any support or interest in this project will be much appreciated. 

Thank you, and namaste.


If you find the desire to donate for an immediate need, there are several large organizations that could use your donation. I will soon post a list of reputable NGO organizations that have had a long term commitments to Nepal and emergency response teams. We have known several people who have worked for these organizations and it is a good place to send donations for immediate needs.