In April 2015, Nepal, a small country of 31 million people, was hit by a powerful earthquake that killed
some 8,000 and left 21,000 injured. Of course the world was shocked as ancient structures were suddenly leveled and as
people across the country found themselves homeless, hungry and nervous to go inside buildings because of the
numerous aftershocks. Aid came in a variety of forms as organizations scrambled to do what they could. There were
fundraisers and online campaigns and as usual as other tragedies took over the airwaves a lot of the push to help waned.
But recovery from a natural disaster is a long road and requires great patience. It also requires that we don’t forget that
even small gestures help to make a difference on the road to recovery.
Here in LA a group of people have come together to do their part to aid Nepal, to help make the world a better place
and to be the change they want to see in the world. Under the auspices of the buildOn organization - Team Leader Scott
Simock has assemble a group of like minded individuals who are passionate about challenging themselves in the course
of helping others. Team NepALLin will be traveling to Nepal in the Fall to help construct a school in a village. The
actually building will of course have it’s demands, but so does the preparation that the team of 17 has to accomplish even
before they can step foot in country. We were able to interview a few of the members of NepALLin and find out their
thoughts on the buildOn process and what the upcoming journey may mean to them.
Simara, Nepal
Photo by Jaryiah Khan
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THE CONE - ISSUE #8 - WINTER 2016