Mendham, NJ, Dec. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — What began as a project founded by a teenager from New Jersey and a Nepali of humble beginnings has become an International NGO serving as a regional force for development work and earthquake relief in midwestern Nepal. BlinkNow is celebrating this year of deepening roots and meaningful growth, which led to the opportunity to serve people in the surrounding region when disaster struck.
Having worked in the mostly-rural and often-remote Karnali region of Nepal and developing community relationships for the past 16 years, the BlinkNow team and local NGO Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj have been positioned with the knowledge and the networks to effectively assist with emergency relief in the aftermath of the November 3 Jajarkot earthquake.
As soon as the earthquake occurred, the BlinkNow/Kopila Valley team got to work with partners D2N (Detroit2Nepal), Hami Nepal, and in coordination with passionate and caring groups of Nepali citizens, with a specific focus on mothers and children in imminent danger. Partner organizations in Kathmandu began collecting emergency supplies, tents, warm clothing, blankets, and food. Kopila Valley staff procured delivery trucks and dedicated team members to these efforts. This included sharing distribution strategies with others and facilitating conversation between government and disaster agencies.
Relief in Many Directions
Kopila Valley staff and volunteers traveled for hours through mountainous regions to deliver supplies to the hardest-hit areas of the earthquake. This included clearing roads, geo-tagging distribution routes for others, and driving farther than other aid agencies may be able to reach.
The administrative team also helped to orchestrate helicopter drops in the hardest-hit and most remote regions, working against the clock because snowfall, along with the risk of hypothermia and infections, was imminent.
The organization’s ambulance began missions to transport the most at-risk pregnant women and their babies to medical clinics or hospitals for safe deliveries. Counselors and social workers were stationed at hospitals to provide mental health support. Some pregnant women are being hosted with Kopila Valley partners in Surkhet, Karnali region, to maintain access to quality medical care at the regional hospital.
Next, Kopila Valley and partners began an upstream approach with targeted mobile, radio, and social media PSAs, and an emergency helpline for women and children. Nonprofit partner Aawaaj, a development and anti-violence group, is staffing the helpline. The messages that are being sent include advice for taking preventative measures against pneumonia, dehydration, human trafficking, and violence against women.
Homes for Children
BlinkNow/Kopila Valley operates a Children’s Home and is committed to caring for those children who have lost parents and families due to the earthquake disaster. The home has welcomed five new children as part of its focus on Nepal’s smallest citizens. The children, including a month-old baby who was just released from the NICU, will mean that additional pediatric nurses, plus a social worker and counselors, will be hired on to help address the needs of the children.
In these times of dire need, the power of collaboration cannot be underestimated. These efforts required a number of partners and the ultimate trust in those people who are working, daily, for the good of their own communities. BlinkNow and Kopila Valley are proud to be part of this community response to tragedy.
The BlinkNow Foundation was founded in 2007 and provides an education and a loving, caring home for children without homes, impoverished and at-risk children. The foundation also provides community outreach to reduce poverty, empower women, improve health, and encourage sustainability and social justice – it fulfills its mission by providing financial support and management oversight to the Kopila Valley Children’s Home and Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal. In addition to the home and school, Kopila Valley runs a Health & Wellness program, Women’s Center, Home for At-Risk Students, Futures Career Readiness Program, and integrated Sustainability Program across all initiatives.
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