Giranchaur, Sindhupalchowk (September 23, 2018) — Brick production training began on Sept. 17 for the homes of the Giranchaur Earthquake Model Village Project. The closing ceremony for the training is on Sept. 23 and then production will officially with over twenty trained villagers.

On April 25, 2015, the Gorkha earthquake destroyed Nepal — killing over 9,000 people and injuring another 22,000. The homes of the more than 350 villagers in Giranchaur, which was at the epicenter of the earthquake, were completely destroyed.

“This project will be a milestone of my life,” said Amir Thapa, the manager of the Chaudhary Foundation. “I have worked for earthquake affected area from the second day of the earthquake. I have committed my time and energy to bring them relief from this terrible disaster from the very beginning. Construction of these houses and providing them the proper shelter would symbolically complete the circle that I started in 2015 right after the earthquake. To be able to lead this for Chaudhary Foundation and to be able to execute this through humanitarian spirit [is] very important for me.”

Seventy houses will be constructed over the next eight months and will follow earthquake safety guidelines by using interlocking bricks that the villagers have been trained to build. On the fourth anniversary of the earthquake (April 25, 2019), the houses will be given to the villagers.

Chaudhary Foundation will continue developing Giranchaur after the homes are completed. It will follow the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and be one of the first villages to follow this model. Chaudhary Foundation will implement at least 10 SDGs projects — including a health clinic, a community center and a water filtration system. A digital classroom at the local K–12 school has already been provided and will be formally presented on Sept. 23, as well.