A couple of weeks back I shared the trailer to Kilian Jornet's latest film entitled Langtang. It follows the Spanish mountain runner as he traveled through Nepal recently, surveying the damage that was left in the wake of the earthquake from this past April. The footage that was seen in the trailer alone was very sobering, and a stark reminder that the Himalayan country has a long way to go before it completely returns to normalcy.Apparently, Kilian was so moved by what he found there that he decided that he had to do something to help. That's why his Summits of My Life project has committed itself to helping rebuild 116 homes in the Langtang region of Nepal, and is joining forces with SOS Himalaya to raise funds to aid with the reconstruction process.
"After the experience in Nepal we realized that we wanted to continue helping the people of Langtang, who have lost everything. After our return from Nepal we went into action and, along with SOS Himalaya, we devised a project that fits very well in the Langtang Valley. SOS Himalaya is a charity with whom we share many values and we are very pleased to start this collaboration,’" explained Jornet.
The spring Earthquake completely buried Langtang in snow, ice, rock, and rubble. It was as if the entire village was wiped from the face of the Earth. And because of its remote location, there has been very little progress made toward rebuilding the place. Summits of My Life and SOS Himalaya are hoping to change that.
So why 116 homes? That's the number of families who want to return to Langtang following the deviation. So, in a sense, the two organizations are hoping to rebuild the village from scratch to allow those who want to return the opportunity to do just that. Each house costs approximately $180 to build, so the goal is to raise $20,880. A relatively modest sum all things considered.
Fundraising efforts got underway last week, and anyone interested in contributing to the cause can do so on this page on the Summits of My Life website.
The earthquake in Nepal has been pushed from the headlines by more recent stories, but the efforts to rebuild continue there. It'll be some time before everything returns to normal, and it is good that there are still some who are focused on aiding in the rebuilding process. Next spring will be a crucial time for the country, hopefully we'll see visitors return in large numbers to aid the economy and help with getting Nepal back on its feet.
