Gopi’s story: “These are the things which will change our lives”
“As leader in my village, it’s up to me to make sure everyone in the community is aware of developments in the community. So when I found out that Raleigh volunteers were coming to Benitar, I gathered everyone and informed them that we were going to be supported with our water.”
“A couple of years ago we had no problems with the water supply in Benitar. But in the earthquake our water source was damaged, so now sometimes we have to fetch our water from the stream. We have to do this even more when the source gets dry. It’s a steep walk down to the stream, so it’s physically tough for everyone, and when we have to walk to the stream there are lots of other chores which have to be put on hold.”
Raleigh volunteers in Benitar are supporting Gopi and the community to improve the water supply by constructing a new pipeline which will take water to each household in the community. The pipeline will eventually link to new tap stands which will be installed in every home, allowing each family to have their own personal water supply.
“When we heard that Goreto Gorkha and Raleigh Nepal were going to help improve our water supply, we were so amazed. We were so happy, that we ran to the highway when the Raleigh vehicle arrived. We wanted to welcome the volunteers to our community. It was a celebration and a very important moment for everyone here.”
“Life will be more beneficial and prosperous when have a water supply to every house. It will be more convenient and efficient for us to do the household work, and it will give us more time to feed the children and get the children to school. The volunteers are doing so much for us; they are digging, digging, digging, making trenches for our new pipeline, and we are thankful for them.”
On top of the pipeline and tap stands, Raleigh volunteers are also building new latrines for the households that need them. For Gopi, a new tap stand and latrine in his household will help him take care of the thing he is most proud of – his family.
“To have a new latrine and tap station will be very useful for me and my family. I have two children – my daughter, Kanchan, and my son, Koran. Kanchan is currently studying in 5th grade and Koran is in nursery. Kanchan has already decided to be a nurse in the future, so I will support her as much as I can – I am even be ready to sell my house if it can help her to achieve her goals. For my son, he’s young and a bit less studious, but I still hope that he will be something like an engineer. I would sell myself to make him a good person, because I know the importance of education.”
“Raleigh programmes have taught us a lot which will help me and my children. The volunteers have shown us that we should clean our hands, take bath regularly and maintain our personal hygiene. I will make my children do that; I will make sure my children’s hygiene is proper and that they use their toothbrush every time after eating dinner, and I will make sure they wash their hands with soap before eating and after using the latrine. These are the things I will consider more in the future for my family and children.”
“To the head of this project, and to the volunteers, I am really grateful for them. I would really like to thank them from the inner core of my heart. I feel in myself like I have a debt to them, because these are the things which will change our lives. This will give us different possibilities, and I am very happy that they launched this project in our community”.
‘Happy Day’ – Kanchan’s poem to Raleigh
Welcome, welcome, every one,
Is the happy day,
We are here for you,
Wishing happy day.
You bring laughter,
Some happiness,
We feel every pleasure,
For your kindness.
We express our grateful thanks,
For you every one,
You listen our prayer,
Our pain all is gone.
Raleigh volunteers are making a real difference in Benitar. The project, funded by BNP Paribas Suisse, is contributing to the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development, helping to improve water and sanitation around the world. Find out more about our current Expedition on the Raleigh Nepal Facebook and Instagram page.
