Info: AGM 2018
ANUVAM GENERAL MEETING
26 and 27 May 2018 IN HAUTELUCE
(Savoie region)
Info: on the Members’ Area
Evelyne Pichenot, visit to Rapcha – March 2018
After more than a decade without having been to Nepal, my first impressions of this trip in March 2018 are marked by astonished looks that are often pleasantly surprised by recent or ongoing developments, particularly in the village of Basa-Rapcha.
At other times, I was dismayed by the after-effects of the earthquakes on the monuments and in the neighbourhoods of the towns in the Kathmandu valley, by the extreme levels of air pollution in Kathmandu and by the piles of rubbish and the invasion of plastic waste that is spreading unchecked.
Reconstruction in Nepal, here we go!
wo bricklayers from the village of Rapcha are currently being trained on the pilot site in the village of MachhaKhola (run by the MOINA association).
The training programme began at the end of March under the guidance of a site manager from Lyon, who is a member of the association. It follows the recommendations for reconstruction using earthquake-resistant techniques drawn up by fifth-year students at ENSAL (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Lyon).
They have been working on this project since October 2015 in close collaboration with ANUVAM and MOINA.
The training programme began at the end of March under the guidance of a site manager from Lyon, who is a member of the association. It follows the recommendations for reconstruction using earthquake-resistant techniques drawn up by fifth-year students at ENSAL (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Lyon).
They have been working on this project since October 2015 in close collaboration with ANUVAM and MOINA.
Rebuilding of a house in Rapcha- March 2017
Shokal’s house
Shokal’s house has finally been nearly achieved, as witnessed by the photos taken early march 2017 . It is somewhat bigger as planned, but it was intended as a work training programme and it will be later possible to build smaller structures.
After two and a half months spent in Nepal, Vincent, the young mason, expert on rehabilitation who supervised the reconstruction of the house for our association, can really be proud of the work done.
Among the selected families for the first phase of works, we chose Shokal because he was a widower with two young children and he had generously offered land for the construction of the health clinic.
In Memoriam
The death of Jacqueline Béchet on 4 January 2018, a long-standing member of our association, was deeply saddening for her many friends in France and Nepal.
Some of them were able to attend the funeral in Chalons sur Saône, while others sent moving testimonies of their attachment to Nepal, of their tenacity in the effort of her welcome to those closest to her and those who were most different.
The association sends its heartfelt condolences to all her family, and in particular to our friend Marc Béchet.
Involving Jacqueline in the continued development of Rapcha will remain a shared task based on friendship with the Nepalese people, to perpetuate her memory in the service of the Nepal she loved so much.
Some of them were able to attend the funeral in Chalons sur Saône, while others sent moving testimonies of their attachment to Nepal, of their tenacity in the effort of her welcome to those closest to her and those who were most different.
The association sends its heartfelt condolences to all her family, and in particular to our friend Marc Béchet.
Involving Jacqueline in the continued development of Rapcha will remain a shared task based on friendship with the Nepalese people, to perpetuate her memory in the service of the Nepal she loved so much.
Visit to Rapcha – November 2017
Bernard and Claudine Simonet, and Jean-Claude Raimbault stayed in Rapcha from 6 to 12 November 2017. They were accompanied by Vincent Peña to visit the various work sites in the village.
The reconstruction of the third planned house, that of Doma Laxmi Rai and her children, was completed during their stay after just 15 days of work. The team of craftsmen has fully assimilated the principles of earthquake-resistant construction, and the quality improves with each new house.
Vincent will return just before Christmas after supervising the reconstruction of two other houses (Man Bir and Deepa Rai’s and Maïti Rai’s).
CAPA: a new mission in October 2017
From 26 October, a new mission for CAPA will begin in the village of Rapcha, Nepal, with the following objectives:
RECONSTRUCTION: CAPA will provide technical support to rebuild two houses using earthquake-resistant principles and local techniques.
TRAIN village technicians in earthquake-resistant techniques, as well as 4 technical leaders who will be able to pass on these techniques. To this end, a construction manual will be produced as a teaching aid for the technicians.
MAKE all residentsaware of the importance of earthquake-resistant construction. The aim is to give them the keys to understanding the importance of taking account of seismic risk in construction, and to call on the services of trained technicians.
Espoir et Solidarité provides aid to Nepal
On Saturday 13 May 2017 the Espoir et Solidarité association organised a concert in Saint Genès Champanelle (Puy-de-Dôme) in aid of two associations including ANUVAM.
In the first part, we presented a slide show on the reconstruction of the house in Shokal.
And on Thursday 28 September, we were invited to the town hall in Saint Genès Champanelle to receive a cheque from Claudine Darrigrand, President of Espoir et Solidarité, accompanied by a delegation from the association.
The house of Jange MAGAR – June 2017
Reconstruction continues in Rapcha.
At the beginning of 2017, Vincent Peña orchestrated the reconstruction of Shokal’s house, while training the masons and carpenters in earthquake-resistant techniques.
At the beginning of 2017, Vincent Peña orchestrated the reconstruction of Shokal’s house, while training the masons and carpenters in earthquake-resistant techniques.
Then, in April-May, the craftsmen trained by Vincent applied on their own what they had learned alongside him. They built Jange MAGAR’s house. A team of around ten workers took part in the reconstruction over a 4-week period. As Jange’s family is one of the poorest in the village, the workers offered 24 days of voluntary work.
Elections in Nepal (2017)
First local elections in 20 years in Nepal
key stage in the country’s political stabilisation, results in Rapcha
After the promulgation of a new Constitution in Nepal in September 2015, local elections were finally held, after 20 years of turmoil, in May and June 2017, in all the country’s local authorities with three forces in attendance, the Congress party, the Marxist-Leninists and the Maoists.
According to our local Nepalese correspondents, voters in the new Rapcha/Basa municipality have nominated Tej Bahadur Magar, well known to our association as Asarman and head of the local association “Motherland Improvement Club” or MIC, as the representative of the section or Ward 2 located in Rapcha.
ANUVAM General Meeting – 2017
Our association’s AGM was held in Brousse (63) on 13 and 14 May 2017.
Helping to rebuild the houses in Rapcha was one of the main topics of this meeting.
Concert in Saint-Genès Champanelle – May 2017
The Association Espoir et Solidarité
from Saint-Genès Champanelle (63) organised a concert on Saturday 13 May, with two choirs taking part, in aid of two associations including ANUVAM.
Annual General Meeting – 2017 – meetings
On Sunday afternoon, Vincent PENA, head of the project to rebuild the first house in Rapcha, and Julie KLEIN from the CAPA association (Comprendre Agir Par l’Architecture) described their experience in designing and building an earthquake-resistant house.
A presentation of the association in the form of panels and a commented slide show, as well as an exhibition of photos of Nepal, were on show to the public.
Rebuilding a house in Rapcha – March 2017
Shokal’s house
Finally! The Shokal house is almost finished, as you can see from the photos taken at the beginning of March 2017. It’s a little bigger than expected, but this was a training site and it will be possible to adapt it to more modest structures.
After two and a half months in Nepal, Vincent, the young mason and rehabilitation expert who is overseeing the reconstruction for us, can be proud of his work.
Among the families selected for the first phase of work, we chose to start with the house of Shokal, a widower with two young children, because he had generously donated land for the construction of the dispensary.
India – Nepal evening
Kashmir – India – Nepal Evening
17 March in MONTPELLIER
organised by Les Maisons Pour Tous ALBERTINE SARRAZIN and GEORGE SAND
The ANUVAM association was invited to the evening to present its reconstruction work in Rapcha-Basa.