THE kindness of the Rotary Club of Okehampton and the generosity of townspeople is making a notable difference to the lives of people living in Nepal, following the devastating earthquakes that hit the country earlier this year.

Earlier this year the club donated the fantastic sum of £2,500 to help the recovery in the country. The club’s May Fair in Simmons Park took place a week after the first huge earthquake which caused mass devastation and loss of life.

At the fair, the club displayed ShelterBox tents similar to those frequently sent to disaster areas and members carried out a bucket collection during the day to support the Nepal appeal.

Okehampton’s donation was the second largest of any Rotary Club in the world to contribute to the recovery efforts of the Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-Town — in fact it was second to the contribution by Salt lake City in the USA.

John Moppett, community chairman for the Rotary Club of Okehampton, said: ‘We felt it was important for the town to know what happened to the money that they so generously donated.

‘All the funds raised were transmitted to Kathmandu, whose people have shown us how they are continuing to progress this relief on our behalf.

‘The fact that Okehampton was the second largest donor was wholly due to the sterling efforts of the town.

‘We would like to thank them on behalf of the Nepalese people.’

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, affected communities urgently needed some form of protection from the elements like tents, tarpaulins and blankets.

In the second phase of recovery from June onwards, temporary shelters were built to keep out the monsoon rains.

In some instances communities were given corrugated galvanized iron sheets together with instructions on how to build tunnel shelters.

The third phase will be the permanent reconstruction phase. For the most part, communities are not yet ready to enter this phase of the recovery effort. The monsoons are also slowing the reconstruction of permanent dwellings.

The Rotary Club of Okehampton will continue to receive reports from the Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-Town to follow the progress of recovery efforts in the country.