The earthquake
In the afternoon of 25 April, all the members of the Suwal family were working at the fields except Grandma Suwal. When the earthquake struck at 12.28 pm, Grandma Suwal was having her lunch at the top floor of her century-old brickhouse. The earthquake,
that measured 7.8 on the richter scale, rocked and brought down the walls of Grandma Suwal's home, burying her underneath. Thankfully, her grandson, who heard her loud cries for help, managed to remove the red bricks that pinned her down, and brought her to
safety.
Along with the house that crumbled into a heap, the Suwals lost all their belongings, and tragically, two relatives aged 7 and 30. As a result of the quake, Grandma Suwal also suffered a mild heart attack and in addition, will have to deal with Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary disease for the rest of her life due to the dust from the earthquake.
Aftermath
Following the earthquake, Kathmandu Valley continued to tremble from numerous aftershocks. They took shelter in one room of a relative's house but before they could settle in, Nepal was hit by another earthquake on 12 May, forcing the family outdoors. That
night, they worried about rain (which thankfully didn't fall), and braced themselves everytime there was an aftershock. The Suwals have since moved back inside, with 7 of them sharing one room.
*Update (12 June): A few members of the Suwal family are sleeping in tents outdoors.
This clearly isn't a long term solution. They need to rebuild their home, which will cost 50-70 Lakhs, which is far beyond what the family can afford.
Fundraising for the Suwals
"Thanks for your concern. We are all in a lot of trouble. We don't even know what to do and not to do. We need a lot of help. We don't have clothes to wear or enough food to eat. Please do help us. We have lost our house and everything." -
Gayatri Suwal
Our story
In 2012, I met Grandma Suwal when I took a portrait of her at Bhaktapur's Pottery Square and printed a copy of it for her. After which, she invited me to her home and made me dinner. That night, i chatted with all her grandchildren about their lives, mine,
and Korean dramas among other topics. We filled the century-old tenement with laughter. When night fell, Grandma Suwal made sure that her eldest grandson walked me to my hotel, knowing I was a lone female traveller.
Last year, I brought my parents to visit the Suwals and they treated us like family. Over food and drinks, they showed us photographs of their family's festivities like weddings and religious ceremonies, and
again we chatted about our lives. Before we said our goodbyes, they told me to visit again, next time with my husband, and perhaps even...a baby? We all laughed. Little did they know, and nor did I, that I was already pregnant then. In the months that my daughter
has come into our lives, I've wondered when we'd take her to Nepal, to visit the country Larry and I have fallen in love with, and to visit the Suwals that have shown me so much kindness.
Which brings me to why I am deeply saddened by the devastation in Nepal. While I am very relieved and happy to know that the Suwals are safe, I have received word from them that their home, one of the iconic
red-bricked houses in Bhaktapur, is completely destroyed. On top of losing their home and all their belongings, Grandma Suwal had a minor heart attack during the earthquake on 25 April, and has fallen ill with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease due to the
dust. Needless to say, the Suwal family is worried about having to rebuild and pick themselves up from scratch.
The Suwals have shown me kindness even when I was a stranger to them. When we heard about the earthquake, the first thing that crossed our minds was the well-being of the Suwals. This campaign is for them. The Suwals, and the people of Nepal are strong.
They will bounce back from this catastrophe, but to do so, they will need help.
We hope to raise funds for the Suwal family to rebuild their home through our photographs of Nepal.
The images
Depending on the amount you pledge, you will be entitled to receive either wallpapers, posters or archival prints of our photographs. These images mean a lot to us and we hope they will bring joy and peace to you too.
Here are the selection of the images. Please indicate the image(s) you have chosen when we contact you via email.
Help spread the word
The more people know about us, the better chance of raising sufficient funds for the Suwals.
***Pay it forward
Give the print or poster you receive for your contribution to a loved one and encourage them to do the same for someone else. It would be a meaningful gift for a friend you'd like to like to say thanks to.
***Share
Tell your friends and family about our cause by sharing our link (www.startsomegood.com/forthesuwals) on your Facebook page, Instagram account, or Twitter!
