Update – The Langtang Region of Nepal after the Earthquake

Finally we have received some information about the effects of the earthquake in our beloved Langtang Valley of Nepal, as well as the rest of Rasuwa as of the 28th of April, 2015.  It is so very sad to hear the village, and nearly all who were living there, our dear friends and family, are gone.  But, not knowing anything is even harder. The village of Langtang was the site of the largest single catastrophe, as the entirety of village was completely buried by an avalanche that came from thousands of feet above on the southern slopes of Langtang Lirung and  Langtang II.  Smaller settlements on the outskirts of Langtang, such as Chyamki, Thangsyap, and Mundu were also buried.   It is impossible to determine exactly how many people died there, but the estimate is perhaps over 300 people in total. The handful of survivors, roughly twelve locals and two foreigners, walked down to Ghodatabela below after spending the night of the 25th in a cave – thus there is no one at Langtang itself. This avalanche is perhaps 2-3 kilometers wide, and is obstructing movement within the upper valley corridor.   Currently two large groups are stranded above and below (due to several intensive and recurring landslides in the steep sections between Ghodatabela and Lama Hotel).  Above, at Kyangjin Gompa, there were reportedly fewer casualties (perhaps 5-10) yet many injured. Most of the injured have been evacuated via helicopter and there is an army medic team in place. Yet, currently, the problem is one of food shortage and illness.   I have heard that the majority of the...

Our Doctors in Nepal – Thank You For Your Service

These are the wonderful doctors and healthcare professionals serving at the Medical Camp in Nepal for One World –  One Heart Foundation Please keep them, along with everyone in Nepal in your thoughts and prayers.  These folks are on their way to the US Embassy in Kathmandu where they will begin working their way home. To the Healthcare Professionals in Nepal – Thank you to each of you for volunteering with One World – One Heart Foundation.   You’re amazing!  The work you do everyday is so generous and selfless and your time in Nepal has been particularly so.  Please stay safe and we await your return home.  And to those in Nepal, our hearts are with you and we will continue to support you and your country in rebuilding...

More on the Nepal Earthquake and Relief Efforts

As a day has passed, there is more information on the Nepal Earthquake.  Over 2,000 now are feared dead with many,  many more injured.  Aftershocks rattled the area and kept everyone on edge.  Rescue crews in Kathmandu continue to search for survivors and residents are sleeping outside because the buildings remain unstable. One World One Heart Foundation  Medical Team Update Our medical team is split up right now, but all are safe.  Bob Blair and Gerald Quintana were trekking and are in the mountains with guides.  They are all safe and have plenty of water and food. The rest of the group is in the town of Pokhara (see map below right).  This area  has had minor disturbances and is having small aftershocks.  However, it does not have high buildings like Kathmandu. We are currently working with the US Embassy to get the entire medical team back to the United States and home safe.  This is not likely to take place though until 7 to 10 days from now. Currently, we are also looking to verify the safety of a few dear friends and their families who we haven’t heard from yet. Earthquake Relief Efforts If you’d like to support the earthquake relief efforts in Nepal, One World One Heart Foundation is in a special position to be able to help you do that.  We have a long established relationship with two other nonprofits in that region we’re working with to provide aid, one being Himalayan Quests – Medical Camps and the other being DCWC.   Through these local non profits in Nepal, and the team at One World...

Nepal Earthquake and an Update On the One World One Heart Foundation Medical Team Currently in Nepal

Today, Saturday April 25, 2015 at 11:41 in the morning there was a major earthquake in Nepal.  There are over 1,000 fatalities being reported at this time and that number is expected to rise.  As we mentioned in a previous post, a medical team from One World One Heart Foundation was leaving for their journey to Nepal for the April 2015 Medical Camp.  They are still there and were in Nepal during the earthquake. Thankfully we have heard from the medical team and all members are safe and accounted for!   This is not so however for many in Kathmandu and the surrounding areas. According to an article published in The Guardian today: “More than 1,000 people have been killed after a major earthquake hit Nepal, toppling buildings in the capital, Kathmandu, and triggering avalanches in the Himalayas. Nepalese police said the death toll in the Himalayan kingdom had risen to 1,130, while 34 fatalities were reported in northern India and one in Bangladesh. Most of the Nepalese fatalities are from the Kathmandu Valley, where 634 people were reported to be dead, with at least 300 more in the capital. Nepalese authorities earlier warned there were also likely to be significant casualties in the remote districts nearer the epicenter of the earthquake, 50 miles north-west of Kathmandu.” The article goes on to quote Jamie McGoldrick, the UN resident coordinator for Nepal, as saying, “It’s difficult to say the extent of the damage. A full-scale assessment is not yet complete, but this was a particularly large earthquake and a very shallow one so we are expecting high and significant damage, especially in...

Donations Now Being Accepted for April 2015 Nepal Medical Camp

We would like to let everyone know that we are currently accepting donations for supplies including medication, birthing kits, glasses, etc. to take to Nepal with us when we travel there for our April 2015 Medical Camp. The medical camp will be held this year from April 15 through April 30, 2015 in a remote village outside the Pokera District of Nepal and is projected to serve 2,000 3,000 people that would likely not otherwise see a doctor. In addition to the medical supplies we mentioned above.  We are also taking donations to pay the actual medical team in Nepal. For each doctor we send from the United States we must have a doctor from Nepal side-by-side with them. Those doctors make $25 per day and are responsible for their own meals and lodging. It is such a reasonable fee, and we are glad to pay their salaries. The doctors that arrive from One World One Heart Foundation work together with the doctors from Nepal sharing knowledge, techniques and more. Then, we donate all of our equipment to the doctors in Nepal for their offices so they can continue to serve the people of Nepal. We have approximately five doctors going from the United States along with several midwives. We are very excited to announce that in addition to the medical camp, we will also be  selecting the site for the birthing center we are planning to build; a future endeavor that we know would help women and children in the area so much. Also, we’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our healthcare professionals who donate their time and...

One World One Heart Foundation, Dr. Del, and The Taos News

Recently, one of our US Advisory Board Members, Dr. Del Endres, was quoted in the Taos News regarding her experience with One World One Heart Foundation, our mission, our founding, and our Women and Children Project – one of the 5 projects we run to help people living in rural Nepal.  Here’s what she said… “The mission of the One World One Heart Foundation is: “Facilitating self-sufficiency and health through education and community development for the people of Langtang, Nepal with particular emphasis on the needs and potential of women and children.”The co-founders of the One World One Heart Foundation (OWOH) are joey blue and Karla Joy Demers and its genesis began with joey’s first trekking vacation there in 1997. Later, Karla Joy Demers became involved and the two explored the countryside, forming bonds with the people and gaining an understanding of their history, culture, and needs. The people’s deep spirituality and respect for life resonated with both.The challenges for women and children in this remote area at the base of the Himalayas are daunting. Culturally, women who are widowed through war or illness are considered “orphans” as they have not been equipped to earn their own living. Consequently, they are forced into yet another dependency relationship when widowed—they become reliant on neighbors and family for food and other needs for themselves and their children. The founders discovered how just a small amount of money can make tremendous change in their lives. Donating personal funds, the founders set up a handicrafts workshop from which the women earn their living, moving from severe impoverishment to self-sufficiency. Similarly, they tripled the...