When did you embark on your adventure?

I left Australia on February 28 and went to Sri Lanka, where I spent just over two weeks travelling around, before I came to Nepal. On May 4, I was due to fly to France, where I have a working holiday visa, with the intention of studying French and riding my bike around as much of Europe as possible. 

What treks did you undertake in Nepal?

I did the Annapurna Base Camp hike in March, which was simply spectacular. I had timed it incredibly well as I got to see the rhododendrons in full bloom, which was simply amazing against the backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayas.

I did the Everest base camp trek in April, and again the scenery was so amazing. I was forever surrounded by the beautiful Himalayas, and while both treks are in the Himalayas, the scenery is completely different and I couldn't choose one over the other, I think that you have to do both.

During this nearly six-week period in Nepal, I fell in love with not only the beautiful landscape, but the people as well. They are so friendly and, while staying in tea houses, I got to meet so many beautiful people and have even become great friends with my guides. I have never felt more at home outside of Australia. 

What prompted your return after the first earthquake?

I left Nepal four days before the first earthquake on April 25 and flew to Bhutan. I spent two weeks there and was supposed to have a 12-hour stop-over in Kathmandu before flying to France.

But after speaking to my Nepali friends and hearing how bad things were on the ground, I felt I couldn’t possibly leave my friends and their beautiful country to deal with this hardship on their own. As a social worker, I knew that I had some skills that might be of use. I was willing to do whatever the people of this country I had fallen in love with needed. 

What was your reaction on seeing the devastation?

As I flew into Kathmandu, I noticed tents set up, even from the air. And when driving through Kathmandu, I noticed buildings that had collapsed and numerous “tent cities” set up in any available open space.

While things looked bad in Kathmandu, it wasn’t until I began going out on relief efforts with friends that I realised the true devastation. I went to villages that had been completely wiped out by the first earthquake - there was nothing left of houses but piles of rubble.

Among this rubble, children ran around and distraught adults looked helpless. This made me feel so much sorrow for my fellow human beings. It was so hard for me to comprehend what it must feel like to have everything you own destroyed in under a minute.

Once we began handing over basic food supplies such as rice, lentils, salt and oil, the people were so incredibly thankful and gave back the brightest smiles. It was probably one of the most humbling experiences of my life. 

Give us some examples...

In one village, I met a man whose wife had passed away before the earthquake and then in the earthquake he lost his son, daughter-in-law and unborn grandchild. One might think he had plenty of reason to give up, but he was there making sure that all of the people in his village had what they needed in terms of basic shelter supplies.

I also met the most gorgeous young girl who spoke very good English, and when I got to her village with tarps, blankets and mats, she greeted me with the biggest, brightest smile and pointed to her family home that was only rubble and her grandmother's house, which was also rubble.

She told me she was sad because her house was gone, but happy because all of her family had survived. She then shared her guilt about being happy as she knew some children from the nearby school had passed away. It was her smile, however, that kept me going when hearing more and more heartbreaking stories. 

What has your role been during the relief effort?

I have provided financial, physical and emotional/psychological support. I have given every spare dollar I could, as well as putting funds directly sent to me by friends into loading trucks with food and shelter supplies, as well as stationery supplies to a school.

I have also helped build temporary shelters, and worked with the children in villages, engaging in play, dance and singing to help their recovery from trauma.

More recently, I have been helping schools set up temporary learning spaces, counselling teachers and students, and educating teachers about trauma-informed practice and psycho-social education. I have also been hands-on in speaking with the children about their experiences and emotional responses, as well as engaging in activities to help them recover.

Did your work in Bendigo with St Luke's help prepare you for this?

I think it has definitely helped, particularly as my work there was with children who had suffered significant trauma, as the children in Nepal have.

Perhaps now it's a little tougher, as the trauma is of such a wide scale and there are less support networks for all of those affected over here. In terms of working with the children in schools and early learning centres, it has definitely been helpful. 

Are you travelling with friends?

I am travelling solo, but since arriving in Nepal I have made so many friends, both local and international. It is amazing how well I am looked after by my local friends - it is more like they are family. My friends in Bendigo have sent some money over, which has gone into food supplies for the people out in some of the worst-affected villages.

What happened when the second quake hit?

It was a Tuesday and I was meeting one of my local friends so we could discuss some planned relief efforts for the rest of the week. We were sitting in a café and when the ground began to shake, we initially stayed sitting, as there had been numerous aftershocks. This time, it continued more violently.

My friend Kabin said we had to move. People all around began screaming and running and as I walked quickly toward a more open space, I almost fell but Kabin caught me and we got to an open space near the café. As we moved to a safe place, I saw a man jump from a roof and land hard on the concrete, I later found out this man broke his leg.

People all around were screaming and children were crying, and as I walked back to my accommodation there were hundreds of people standing in the middle of the street, trying to stay away from buildings, with fear rife on their faces.

My accommodation had open space nearby, so I spent the majority of my day there with some friends, away from any tall buildings.

How did you become involved with First Steps Himalaya?

I first became aware of First Steps Himalaya in Bhutan. I was at a Bhuddhist festival in a small village a few days after the Nepal earthquake and just happened to begin speaking to a lovely lady from New Zealand. As Fionna and I chatted, she told me about the organisation she co-founded with her partner Durga, who is Nepali and from the Sindhupalchowk district. They set up First Steps Himalaya in 2008 and had been supporting 22 schools throughout Sindhupalchowk since 2009.

We spoke about the possibility of me coming and volunteering in the rebuilding of schools in September, which I was very keen on. But after the second earthquake, I contacted Fionna and asked if I could do anything on the ground and that's when we spoke about a back-to-school program and also looking into an anti-child-trafficking awareness program. I was supposed to fly out on May 27 but, for the second time, I put my France plans on hold and took up the opportunity to work with First Steps Himalaya.

What is happening now on a typical day?

As of Sunday just gone, over a month after the first earthquake, we are slowly trying to get children back to school, with numbers looking okay considering.

For many people out in the villages, life is about building temporary shelters before the monsoon hits in a few weeks. These shelters vary - some are whatever people can find to hang a tarp on; others leftover timber and tin from ruined houses. In the rural areas, some people are caring for their crops among the rebuilding.

In some villages that are completely devastated, it is still common to see people sitting, staring into space. These are villages where there have been multiple deaths, particularly children and elderly. In Sindhupalchowk, 90 per cent of houses have been destroyed and six per cent damaged to the point they are unliveable. Only four per cent are habitable, but in a lot of cases, people are fearful to sleep inside.

How are the children coping with what has happened?

I have spent a great deal of time with the children here and, due to the extent of the trauma of their parents and families, it is especially trying for them. I was speaking with some children in a school about what sort of play they have been engaging in since the earthquake and they said they have not really been playing.

So I am speaking with teachers about the importance of play for children, as well as other activities such as singing and dancing and the role this can play in the recovery from trauma. In basic terms, encouraging kids to be kids and creating a stress-free, safe environment to do this in.

I have also been doing quite a bit of this with the children myself, alongside Durga from First Steps Himalaya and the friends I was doing relief work with before this. 

How are you coping?

So far I am coping okay. I am constantly motivated by the laughter and the smiles of children whenever we are doing activities. I'm staying in a village in Sindhupalchowk, where there is no electricity and no liveable houses, but there are the most amazing families here. It is through all of these amazing people that I am motivated and encouraged every day.

I have heard some incredibly sad and terrible stories, but the strength of the Nepali people and the support of my friends back home in Australia is what keeps me strong.

How long will you stay?

I have a revised date to head to France in late July, which is when things will start to get complicated for me visa-wise. I definitely plan on returning next year for more trekking and to visit all of the amazing people I have met here. 

What do the local people need and is there anything we can do to help?

Things are not looking good in Nepal at the moment, especially for the children and the schools, so First Steps Himalaya hopes to rebuild as many schools as possible through an earthquake-safe method of Earthbag Building.

We are also providing stationery and uniforms to the children and have appeals running for these, so if anyone can donate any amount, it will all go towards supporting the children of Nepal.  The website for donations is https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/earthquakenepalrelief

I would also like to encourage anyone who has ever thought about travelling to Nepal to do it sooner, rather than later. It will help the people of this beautiful country so much.

I am humbled every day by the beauty and strength of this country and its people - and if you come to visit, you will not regret it!