Written by Prachi Aryal 

“There was nothing left of what we called home when we returned on November 4,” recalls Laxmi (28), who, along with her 18-month-old son, Roshan, was traveling when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Jajarkot and Rukum West on November 3. 

“Our house was reduced to rubble, and we had no place to stay.” Laxmi and her husband set up a makeshift tent to protect themselves. “Inside the flimsy tent, I couldn’t sleep because I was afraid that there would be more earthquakes. But most importantly, I was worried about my son, who was mentally disturbed by what was going on around him.” Roshan, unfamiliar with staying outside in a tent, struggled to adjust to the change in environment. Laxmi shares, “Roshan used to look outside scared and used to cry, saying, ‘mami, baba, naigujiaaucha, bahira nai’ (Mommy, daddy, it's scary outside). I was scared too because the tent didn’t have any doors or protection.” 

 The plummeting weather started to affect Laxmi and her family. “It started getting too cold, and my son, Roshan, started developing a cough, flu symptoms, and a fever. The tent was not enough to protect us from the harsh cold. It was so cold that frost would seep through at night, leaving the blankets cold and wet,” exclaims Laxmi. “The only way we could stay warm was by burning firewood outside, but the smoke caused breathing problems for my son.” 

 "The winterization tents have been a boon to us. It’s been so much easier to keep Roshan warm, his health is improving, and we feel safe inside,” says Laxmi.