PARTNERS IN NEPAL:
We've also connected with the following organizations in Nepal that are providing ongoing support and development:
This is a project to preserve history and memories at risk of being lost after the earthquake. The photos and stories by our participants are an important contrubution to the archive. The memory project is led by Rasuwa Relief.
Langtang Management and Reconstruction Committee
The Committee is the central community organization of the people of the Langtang Valley charged with planning rebuilding efforts including housing, trails, and infrastructure.
Rasuwa Relief exists to provide post-earthquake relief in both the immediate and long term to villages across Rasuwa District, which includes the Langtang Valley. Rasuwa was both severely affected by the 25 April 2015 earthquake and is currently underserved by the aid community.
Pasang Bhuti and Langtang Disaster Relief Pasang is a young woman from Langtang Village who married a trekker and now lives in Spain. Her mother was killed in the earthquake. Pasang was instrumental in helping trekkers locate missing friends and Nepali connections and has been a vital bridge between cultures. Her organization, Langtang Disaster Relief is committed to assisting the people of Langtang with a number of initiatives including bringing shelter, food, medical care, and providing educational sponsorship for newly orphaned children. Pasang will be the primary voice and narrator for our documentary film.
SPONSORING PARTNERS/ADVISORS:
Caroline Heldman and Langtang Missing/Found People Group - This global Facebook group was quickly assembled after the April 25th earthquake to collect information on missing loved ones to guide search and rescue missions. Now the goals of this group are to facilitate healing, help rebuilding efforts and honor those who lost their lives in Langtang.
EmBOLDen Alliances is a 501c3 based in Golden, Colorado, whose mission is improving the lives of communities through collaborative partnerships.
ABOUT US:
COLORADO TEAM:
Patti Bonnet is a documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Boulder, Colorado. She is Line Producer on the documentary feature Racing Extinction which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, has worked for National Geographic, The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, ABCNews This Week with David Brinkley. She was selected as a State Department delegate for the American Documentary Showcase and taught documentary workshops in Rwanda at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali and the University of Rwanda. She has a master’s in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a BS in Journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She was trekking in Nepal shortly before the earthquake and has been volunteering passionately with grassroots relief efforts ever since.
Brigid McAuliffe is a multimedia storyteller and educator based in Denver, Colorado. She is the director and cofounder of Picture Me Here, a multimedia storytelling program for displaced people, working primarily with refugees and immigrants in Colorado and abroad. Her work as an artist and educator is inspired by the power of stories to create empathy, understanding and community. She has taught digital media and storytelling courses as a visiting professor, adjunct faculty, and a consultant to foundations and community organizations. McAuliffe has exhibited her work internationally and curated Picture Me Here exhibits in the US and Nepal. She holds a MFA in Emerging Digital Practice from the University of Denver, and a BFA in Photography from Colorado State University.
NEPAL TEAM:
Lhakpa Tamang Jangba is a Langtang earthquake survivor and a strong community leader. He plays an active role in the Langtang Photo Album project as well as the Langtang Memory Project as a coordinator, interpreter and a great storyteller. He serves as a bridge between multiple organizations contributing to the rebuilding efforts, such as the Langtang Management and Reconstruction Committee and Rasuwa Relief.
Jennifer Bradley is a recent graduate from American University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies, concentrating in Identity, Race, Gender, and Culture. She has done extensive research concerning refugee identity through a case study of Bhutanese refugees. This work brought her to Nepal to continue her work with a displaced community from Nepal—the Langtangpas from the earthquake-affected Langtang Valley. She is particularly interested in storytelling as a means of empowerment for marginalized groups and has been an important facilitator for the Langtang Photo Album project since it launched in November. She will continue her education to conduct anthropological work in Nepal focusing on identity politics and displacement.
Dinesh Bikram Shah is a photojournalist working for the Annapurna Post in Kathmandu. Dinesh has led some of the photojournalism workshops for the Langtang Photo Album project, drawing from years of experience with photography and storytelling.
Robyn Scarth is a volunteer and team member for Langtang Photo Album. She first traveled to Nepal as a student in 1999 and quickly returned to spend a year teaching. During that time she taught young monks from the Langtang Region and formed a life-long connection to the unique area and people. After the destruction of Langtang Village, she reconneted with former students and started working with the Langtang Photo Album team to organize a photo exhibit displaying Langtangpa photos in the Boudhanath region of Kathmandu.