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Frontline Fair Trade
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Never in anyone’s wildest dreams did we imagine that our small foundation, set up for rural health care and the education of Nepali girls, would be involved in one of the largest humanitarian disaster relief projects of this decade. Spurred on by the dire need of Nepali friends and their depiction of a country that came crashing down around them, there was never any question of if CCF would get involved, only how.
On April 25th of 2015, CCF leapt into action. As news came to us, drop by drop, we broadcast it, far and wide, through every channel we had at our disposal. The kindness and generosity we at CCF observed during those hours of shocked silence on the morning of the 25th was overwhelming. Within hours of the news, your support came flooding in. Within days, that support was transformed into the most vital emergency aid: food, shelter, and medicine. Within less than a week, these resources were in the hands of the Nepali people. It is thanks to your prompt and generous actions that this, and much more, has been accomplished. It is thanks to you that CCF has been able to accomplish what it never before thought possible. Within less than a month of the earthquake, CCF had distributed $26,000 worth of food and shelter, and here is what that looks like:
- Over 6,000 people immediately provided with food for one month
- Approximately 1,200 people immediately provided with shelter
Thanks to the compassion of individuals hailing from every corner of the globe, CCF was able to rapidly reach thousands of people, spread through four Nepalese districts, all of which had been heavily affected and largely isolated from outside assistance.
From June through August, we provided an additional $10,300 to the Association for Craft Producers (ACP) as a portion of our Artisan Relief Project. This money has been put towards rebuilding the homes of ACP artisans which were either destroyed or damaged during the Earthquakes.
We Are Proud!
The earthquake relief undertaken by CCF has been our largest project to date, both in number of resources expended, and lives impacted. As of September 10th, we have been able to raise a staggering total of $155,000! During the initial “emergency r 
elief phase” we distributed close to $40,000, now, with the need for immediate aid gradually diminishing, CCF has turned its focus on long-term rebuilding and recovery. Out of our remaining funds, we have set aside $60,000 for the reconstruction of the Durali Community Service Center (which houses the Baseri Clinic) and the remaining $55,000 for the process of permanently rebuilding homes, schools, and other vital facilities.
Where Will We Go From Here?
In light of all that has transpired, we at CCF felt obligated to fully explore and understand the impact of where we’ve been and where we will be going. To this end, in October of 2015, four representatives of the Conscious Connections Foundation (CCF), Chair Denise Attwood, Vice President Ric Conner, Research Associate Grant Gallaher, and Vice President Cameron Conner, will be traveling to Nepal. Our hope is that this work will result in a clear and concise list of recommendations, aimed at addressing where and how we can best help our Nepali partners begin to rebuild their villages, families, and lives. Ultimately, our goal is the restoration of these communities to the extent that there is no longer any need for any further earthquake relief and we can return CCF to its primary initiatives, including the Power of Five and Deurali Community Service Center.The Research
The focus of our work in Nepal will be on the three primary Earthquake Relief Projects (ERPs) of CCF: Artisan Relief, Beseri Relief, and General Relief (check out CCFs upd
ated website to learn more about each!). We hope to achieve the most accurate and useful information through a simple and elegant Nepali custom: having tea. By sitting down with those who have benefited from CCF assistance, or those who have played a key role in this relief process, we hope to have honest, open, and comfortable conversations. To find the most authentic idea of how and where CCF’s help is most needed, the four CCF representatives mentioned above will be trekking through the districts of Dhading and Ghorka for close to one month, visiting six CCF assisted villages. Following this initial month long stage, Denise and Ric will return to Spokane, while Grant and Cameron will remain in Nepal for an additional six weeks, continuing the research and evaluation and volunteering in the rebuilding efforts.Update!
While in Kathmandu, Grant, Cameron, and fellow CCF partner, Ishwor Basnet, will also be attending a two day long course on the construction of natural, earthquake proof, affordable Earthbag houses, taught by former director of Builders without Borders, Dr. Owen Geiger. If practical, CCF hopes to propose rebuilding the Deurali Community Service Center in this style to the village committee of Baseri. If agreed upon, the clinic could then potentially be used as a model for other rebuilding projects in the area.Strength, Compassion, Resilience
In my many trips to Nepal, I have seen many heart warming actions amidst unimaginable suffering. Through all this the Nepali people glide with a seemingly untouchable attitude of optimism. Perhaps the most stirring example of this came just days after the initial earthquake, days after the Deurali Community Service Center had been reduced to rubble. The story of the Baseri Clinic provides a fitting testament to the character of strength, compassion, and resilience possessed by the Nepali people, and a physical demonstration of CCF’s driving values. In this unique spirit of unshakable optimism, the villagers of Baseri unearthed the most useful supplies that were intact from the old clinic and, using what little materials they had, reopened their clinic on May 15th. With the supplies salvaged from the rubble, it now operates out of a makeshift tin hut. It was among the first buildings to be rebuilt. This new manifestation shows once again that, though the physical building of the old Community Center is no longer, its spirit lives on! Moreover, it is your support and compassion that has allowed for the cultivation of these channels through which this spirit now flows!
In light of all that has transpired, we at CCF felt obligated to fully explore and understand the impact of where we’ve been and where we will be going. To this end, in October of 2015, four representatives of the Conscious Connections Foundation (CCF), Chair Denise Attwood, Vice President Ric Conner, Research Associate Grant Gallaher, and Vice President Cameron Conner, will be traveling to Nepal. Our hope is that this work will result in a clear and concise list of recommendations, aimed at addressing where and how we can best help our Nepali partners begin to rebuild their villages, families, and lives. Ultimately, our goal is the restoration of these communities to the extent that there is no longer any need for any further earthquake relief and we can return CCF to its primary initiatives, including the Power of Five and Deurali Community Service Center.The Research
The focus of our work in Nepal will be on the three primary Earthquake Relief Projects (ERPs) of CCF: Artisan Relief, Beseri Relief, and General Relief (check out CCFs upd
ated website to learn more about each!). We hope to achieve the most accurate and useful information through a simple and elegant Nepali custom: having tea. By sitting down with those who have benefited from CCF assistance, or those who have played a key role in this relief process, we hope to have honest, open, and comfortable conversations. To find the most authentic idea of how and where CCF’s help is most needed, the four CCF representatives mentioned above will be trekking through the districts of Dhading and Ghorka for close to one month, visiting six CCF assisted villages. Following this initial month long stage, Denise and Ric will return to Spokane, while Grant and Cameron will remain in Nepal for an additional six weeks, continuing the research and evaluation and volunteering in the rebuilding efforts.Update!While in Kathmandu, Grant, Cameron, and fellow CCF partner, Ishwor Basnet, will also be attending a two day long course on the construction of natural, earthquake proof, affordable Earthbag houses, taught by former director of Builders without Borders, Dr. Owen Geiger. If practical, CCF hopes to propose rebuilding the Deurali Community Service Center in this style to the village committee of Baseri. If agreed upon, the clinic could then potentially be used as a model for other rebuilding projects in the area.Strength, Compassion, Resilience
In my many trips to Nepal, I have seen many heart warming actions amidst unimaginable suffering. Through all this the Nepali people glide with a seemingly untouchable attitude of optimism. Perhaps the most stirring example of this came just days after the initial earthquake, days after the Deurali Community Service Center had been reduced to rubble. The story of the Baseri Clinic provides a fitting testament to the character of strength, compassion, and resilience possessed by the Nepali people, and a physical demonstration of CCF’s driving values. In this unique spirit of unshakable optimism, the villagers of Baseri unearthed the most useful supplies that were intact from the old clinic and, using what little materials they had, reopened their clinic on May 15th. With the supplies salvaged from the rubble, it now operates out of a makeshift tin hut. It was among the first buildings to be rebuilt. This new manifestation shows once again that, though the physical building of the old Community Center is no longer, its spirit lives on! Moreover, it is your support and compassion that has allowed for the cultivation of these channels through which this spirit now flows!
