Kiwis wanted to help with Nepal rebuild

The destruction left by the April 25 earthquake of Inachok, an area of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Photo / File

New Zealanders donated more than $1 million to the Himalayan Trust's Nepalese earthquake appeal and now the charity is looking for Kiwis to join its work on rebuilding a school in the Everest region.

Two devastating earthquakes stuck Nepal in April and May, killing about 8900 people and destroying hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, health facilities and temples.

The Himalayan Trust, founded by Mt Everest conqueror Sir Edmond Hillary, has thanked everyone who donated to its quake appeal.

It has also announced another fundraiser it calls the "rebuild challenge" and is looking for 16 people to travel to Nepal a year after the quakes to help re-build a school.

The challenge is a 17-day trek through the "stunning" Everest mountain region and includes visits to village schools and the Khunde hospital, built by Sir Ed and the trust.

"We are excited to be able to offer Kiwis the chance to continue Sir Ed's legacy in the mountains, getting to know and working alongside the local people as they rebuild their schools," said trust general manager Prue Smith.

"This was one of the worst natural disasters in Nepal's history and we want to thank all the New Zealanders who have shown immense generosity to help the people of Nepal at their time of need.

"We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support since the earthquakes. As well as making donations, people have been raising money for our rebuild appeal in so many creative ways including pianothons, "fiver for Ed" days and walking, running or cycling the height of Mt Everest."

Monsoon season has ended in Nepal, allowing the trust to forge ahead with its re-build efforts.

Many of the 63 schools supported by the trust suffered serious damage and the trust will need to rebuild classrooms, teachers' quarters, student hostels and toilet blocks in at least 22 schools.

"We are estimating it may take five years to repair and rebuild all the damaged buildings in the isolated Everest region where we work, particularly as we want to make sure the new classrooms meet seismic-resilient building codes to better ensure the safety of children and teachers in case of a similar disaster," Ms Smith said.

Thanks to donations, the trust distributed tarpaulins, tents, bedding and essential items immediately following the quakes. It build emergency houses for families who had lost everything and provided temporary classrooms so 6000 children could return to school just three weeks after the second quake.