On 3rd November 2023, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck west Nepal. It claimed over 100 lives, destroyed 26,000 houses and damaged 35,000.

D2N provided emergency relief immediately following the earthquake (see 'Emergency Relief', below)

In December 2024 we began construction of the Jana Bikash Basic School - located in Thuli Barkhu (see 'Progression of Jana Bikash Basic School', below).

In March 2025 we seized an opportunity to support both communities and families through a micro-enterprise program designed and run by Build up Nepal, our newest partner.

Home Rebuilding

Build up Nepal trains local entrepreneurs to start small eco-brick (CSEB) (see '8000 Compressed stabilized earth bricks', below. Both the homes and the school use this same technology) enterprises in their communities. Their team provides training and support to ensure their micro-enterprise succeeds. The entrepreneurs build affordable, safe homes and create local, green jobs.

They empower communities to rebuild independently using eco-bricks by training entrepreneurs and masons in sustainable construction. Houses are primarily funded by government grants, with families contributing labor, savings, or local materials. Their technology reduces the cost of construction substantially, making safe homes affordable even for poor and low-income families.

Prior to the earthquake Build up Nepal had built homes and community buildings in the area using the eco-bricks. These buildings withstood the disaster, while conventional structures collapsed.

In anticipation of the government reconstruction grants scheduled to arrive this year Build up Nepal is strengthening their supply chain so families can rebuild with CSEB rather than mud motor and stone, which are not earthquake resistant.

Progression of Jana Bikash Basic School

In December 2024 Build up Nepal started work on the first school to be rebuilt - Jana Bikash Basic School - located in Thuli Barkhu. The school serves 80 low-income students, ages 4-10, from 70 families in three communities. The students are currently housed in a temporary learning center constructed by UNICEF.

The school will include five classrooms, one office, and a separate building housing three toilets. Build up Nepal uses Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB) interlocking bricks, a technology that is internationally recognized as both earthquake resistant and ecofriendly. The 20-25 masons learning how to make these bricks will be able use their new-found knowledge to construct earthquake-resistant homes.

As with all D2N projects in Nepal, the local communities are significantly vested and provide some of the resource transport, labor, and supplies. We also work with a School Management Committee to ensure that the local community prioritizes and is invested in this project so it ultimately can oversee the operations of the school once construction is completed.

Emergency Relief

Partnering with BlinkNow and HAPSA Nepal, D2N's initial efforts after the earthquake in Northwestern Nepal supplied two villages in the Jajarkot District with food, cooking support, blankets, temporary shelters clothing and emergency medical kits. Our trucks ferried these supplies while our ambulance took the injured as well as pregnant moms, children and the elderly in distress and orphaned children to Surkhet to be taken care of.

Once these communities had adequate supplies and temporary shelter, they requested assistance rebuilding infrastructure, specifically schools (over 800 schools were damaged, 200 were completely destroyed.) D2N has done this before. After the 2015 earthquake we rebuilt 12 earthquake-safe schools in Khotang as well as two health posts and two birthing centers.