Recipient: Great Energy Challenge Innovator, National Geographic Society.
Gorkaly Foundation was also the recipient of the 2018 International Project Management Award in the category of sustainable development for the Rebuild Barpak Project.
Barpak in Gorkha district was at the epicenter of the 7.6 M earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 and suffered insurmountable loss. 95% of the 1200 homes in Barpak village were completely destroyed including schools, health posts, food mills, and local businesses. Prior to the devastation, Barpak was a self-reliant village with 24-hour electricity, an agro community, a thriving local business community, and connected globally with internet. With the earthquake, Barpak lost many of its men, women and children, its infrastructure, its energy access, and the steady development it had made over the years.
Barpak’s strong, resilient and entrepreneurial nature came through during this crisis. Through Gorkhaly Foundation’s advisor and local partner Mr. Bir Bahadur Ghale, the village sought help in restoring access to electricity in the short term so that they could begin strategic rebuilding for the long term.
In 2015, Gorkhaly Foundation launched the Rebuild Barpak initiative to address dire needs of the community. Community driven needs identification was at the core of the initiative which was implemented under the leadership of Mr. Bir Bahadur Ghale and volunteers in Barpak and Nepal. A plan to Rebuild Barpak, with the community identifying critical infrastructure and service needs, helped Barpak communicate its investment needs to donors and on relief and recovery. We partnered with the Barpakis availing support to explore and access relief and recovery funds from the government, the private and the social sectors.
Our work across the four priority areas identified in Barpak: