Hira Bahadur Tamang is a resident of Sisakhani, Kavre, whose house was badly damaged in the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. The cost and difficulty of managing the materials needed for demolishing his house have deterred him from going through the deconstruction process. When Hira learned about retrofitting as an alternative to demolishing his house, he knew it was his best option for living in a safe house. Working with the Build Change technical team, Hira arranged for local builders and materials, and covered the costs associated with the retrofit through government reconstruction subsidies.
The interior of Hira’s house during the retrofitting process
Hira’s house was cracked and damaged after the 2015 earthquake.
The retrofitting process was started in June 2017, and w as finished 2 months later in August 2017. Hira is so happy with the results of the retrofit that he has been encouraging others in his community to retrofit their houses as well. Many of his neighbors have already shown interest.
We hope that retrofitting continues to gain popularity, and are actively working with homeowners and school leaders in earthquake-affected communities across Nepal to promote the technology.