Sewa International Plans Aid for 10,000 Flood-Hit Children

• Education aid planned for 10,000 flood-affected children.
• Sewa plans 10 skill development centres in Nepal.
• At least 500 families targeted for home reconstruction.
• Relief operations have reached thousands of affected people.

GG News Bureau
Kathmandu, 30th Sept: Sewa International plans to provide educational assistance to 10,000 children affected by recent floods in Nepal and establish 10 skill development centres in flood-hit districts to support livelihood recovery.

Sewa USA President Srikanth Gundavarapu, returning from a two-day visit to flood-affected areas, said the organisation’s priority was to help communities move from immediate relief towards long-term recovery.

The rehabilitation plan includes helping at least 500 families rebuild their homes, supporting Nepali farmers in restoring agricultural land and providing mental-health assistance to people dealing with trauma.

Sewa announced $100,000 in immediate aid after the floods on August 26 and has around 90 volunteers involved in relief operations. The organisation aims to raise more than $1 million for Nepal relief and said it had reached 76 per cent of that target as of September 30.

During his visit, Gundavarapu and teams from Sewa Nepal and partner organisations travelled more than 125 miles through affected communities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts. They met affected families, local response teams and government officials and assessed damage to homes, roads and bridges.

The team reported that several communities remained disconnected after bridges and roads were destroyed by floodwaters, mud, rocks and debris. In some locations, temporary zip-lines were being used to help residents cross rivers while connectivity was restored.

Gundavarapu also visited the Sewa-run Janjati Kalyan Ashram hostel in Thepla, Nuwakot, where he met families affected by the disaster, including a family whose daughter remains missing and an eight-year-old child who lost two siblings in the floods.

The team also met a school principal who continued supporting more than 800 children despite losing her own home.

Sewa USA, working with Sewa Nepal and the Nepal CMA Association, has distributed more than 800 grocery and hygiene kits and 700 shelter and medical kits. Volunteers served more than 2,250 cooked meals during the first five days and continue to provide around 150 meals daily.

More than 150 people have received medical check-ups through health camps, while over 500 emergency lighting and power-support items have been distributed, including 200 units to the Nepal Police.

Gundavarapu said the field visit provided a deeper understanding of the scale of the devastation and the relief work being carried out by Sewa teams on the ground.

The organisation said its ongoing efforts would focus on immediate relief as well as education, shelter, rehabilitation, skills development and livelihood restoration.

Sewa USA is seeking support from individuals, community organisations, corporations and foundations for its Nepal Flood Relief and Rehabilitation programme.