Dev Raj and his family lost their home in the 2015 earthquake. They live in Chhorpak, Gorkha District, the epicentre of the quake. For the eight months that followed, they lived in temporary shelter that leaked, providing nowhere to properly store food or possessions. Every time it rained the family and their belongings were soaked.
Dev was diagnosed with downs syndrome at birth but his family understood little about the condition and how to care for him properly. When INF set up its GRACE project in Gorkha after the earthquake, it committed to assisting people with a disability as its primary focus.
The INF team assessed Dev’s family’s situation and recommended they assist in the rebuilding of the family home ensuring, it was both earthquake resistant and disability friendly. Initially, Dev’s parents rejected the suggestion to make the house disability friendly; they had a limited understanding of how it would enable them to better care for Dev. In addition to this there is still significant stigma attached to people with a disability in Nepal. After good discussions between the INF staff and the family they agreed to build a disability friendly home.
Four months later their house was completed using local materials, as well as financial and technical support from INF. Dev and his family are thankful to INF for bringing hope and security to their lives as they rebuild following the devastating earthquake.