How One Company is Helping to Rebuild Disclosure: Coca-Cola sponsored my travel, accommodations and other expenses to Nepal. I attended as an independent blogger who is passionate about empowering women. All opinions are my own. Listen to our podcast for more in-depth conversation about empowering women in developing countries: Go Adventure Podcast (click here for iTunes). April 25, 2015 Earthquake For decades trekkers, climbers and adventurers journey to Nepal to be surrounded by some of the tallest mountains on earth. Recently, I traveled to Nepal, not to trek or embark on a spiritual journey. I went to witness how The Coca Cola Company has helped rebuild villages and empower women. I remember hearing about the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal a year and a half earlier. It wasn’t until I met people affected by the disaster that I realized the personal devastation. People shared their fears of going outside, returning to work or school, and getting back to simple tasks. I spoke with a man whose legs were partially crushed while his wife died, buried under the rubble beside him. The Immediate Need for Clean Water During a natural disaster, basic needs have to be met. Clean water, shelter and food are critical. The Nepali Coca Cola management team, first provided care for its employees, then assessed the damage to the bottling facility and within 44 days got it running. They donated 20,000 cases of clean Kinley water to support the community and The Coca Cola Foundation supported the Nepal Red Cross Society with a $1 million grant. In doing so, they were able to assist 75,00 people in 15,000 households. 5by20 Initiative and Nepal 5by20 is Coca Cola’s initiative to economically empower 5 million women across its value chain in developing countries by the year 2020. Nepal is one of the countries its working with to empower women. After the earthquake, it became apparent in order to help economically empower women in Nepal, they needed to help to rebuild, provide access to clean water, and motivate girls to return to school. Rebuilding Bhurunchuli Village and Bath House After providing clean water, they saw the need for resilient low cost housing. Coca Cola partnered with creasion, a NGO, to help rebuild the badly damaged Bhurunchuli Village. The community was engaged from start to finish. They were provided with the raw materials to make bricks to build their own homes. While the homes were being rebuilt, they decided to build a community based Pandhaero (bath house) so the village women would have access to water for cooking, cleaning, health and sanitation. Currently, it takes all day for Bhurunchuli village women to wash clothes because they share a watering hole with three villages. One woman says she wakes up at 3 a.m. every morning to avoid the long lines for water. Another woman told me she’s looking forward to the Pandhaero because she’ll no longer have to walk and wait in line to get water twice a day. Access to water plays an essential
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