Nepal, 2015

From February 8th to March 10th 2015, GlobalFire volunteer Chris WILVERT was invited by Shechen Monastery and CGLF to train their monks, students and staff on earthquake preparedness via a series of workshops.

A follow-up visit, from May 6th to May 16th 2015, was requested by the same entities after the 25 April earthquake. They asked GlobalFire to come and assist with response and recovery teams with Shechen (the members who had been trained in the earlier mission) and wanted follow up visits to the monasteries, health clinics and schools where the workshops for CGLF had been conducted.

The team from Shechen, which is comprised of 50 Buddhist monks, performed heroically following the earthquakes. They fanned out in teams to the worst hit areas and delivered food, first aid and shelter. The group had made the greatest strides in their earthquake preparedness. They have a designated building for earthquake response supplies such as first aid and light search and rescue equipment. They have implemented an accountability system. They also have team captains and train regularly in emergency response and are trained in first aid by the Nepal Red Cross Society.