Volunteer Melanie Vella, who worked in Nepal before last month’s quake, explores the benefits and challenges of do-gooders entering disaster-struck areas.

Devastation ripped through a country. Thousands of people lost their lives.

Many more were injured and more still lost everything they own.

When I heard about the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, I was in shock.

I could picture Kolpana, her eyes clouded over with anxiety, as she ran out of her mud hut where I had spent so many days peeling garlic, as curry and spice scents wafted through the one small room.

I could almost hear the corrugated tin roof rattling as the ground bounced around under their bare feet, with nowhere to escape.

Dragging her four sisters by their tiny hands, did she think: will it crumble? Will the cracking building next door splutter down on to their home, their whole world?

It sparked a feeling of helplessness, swiftly followed by a sense of responsibility to get involved and do something, anything, to help my friends and victims caught up in the chaos of the worst earthquake to hit Nepal in 80 years.

Even before the catastrophe, Nepal was a fragile and impoverished country.

It consistently relied on international aid and volunteer programs were in place to support the large number of families living in poverty.

In 2014, I volunteered in Pokhara, Nepal. We created a women’s empowerment social business where we trained local girls and women to sew and make bags, baby clothes and other handicrafts.

They earned a wage, approximately €30 per month, which is a substantial wage by Nepali standards.

More than 40 per cent of people were unemployed in Nepal at the time.

Sita, Kolpana, Shobha, Gita and all the women at Kriayt Social Business became my didis (sisters).

They were a step closer to financial independence and building a more stable life for their families.

Many of these women never finished their basic schooling.

Most were married from as young as 13 years old, had to look after their husband, his family, do all the house chores and take care of their own children.

Over time, I cultivated a deep respect for what they know and an understanding of their culture, different ways of doing things, sense of timing and different standards.

This experience gave me the opportunity to learn about the genuine and humble nature of Nepali women.

As the world watches images of earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and war-torn countries from their TV screen, everyone wonders what to do when disaster strikes.

Should I volunteer to help? Should I donate money and organise fundraisers?

But before jumping on a plane, it’s important to consider how much impact you could have, just by going.

The only airport into Nepal was damaged. It was buckling under the pressure of people fleeing the country and the international aid pouring in.

There are many factors that need to be taken into account, especially for disaster-struck regions.

The first days and weeks after a calamity, the country goes into emergency relief mode.

Search and rescue missions give first assistance to survivors and bury the victims.

Resources are scarce during these emergency stages. Lack of water, food, sanitation and transport facilities hinder the progress in delivering aid.

As time goes on, the situation is aggravated as hospital supplies diminish, people become overwhelmed by fatigue and sorrow and the flow of international aid starts to dry up.

In Nepal, more than 8,000 people lost their lives, entire villages were wiped out, roads made inaccessible because of landslides and thousands of people were left with no choice but to sleep in the streets.

As time goes on, hospital supplies diminish, people become overwhelmed by fatigue and the flow of international aid starts to dry up

Many lost their children, families and friends, their homes and everything except their lives.

Others were too fearful to stay indoors.

Charlene Grech, a Maltese woman in Nepal at the time of the earthquake, wasn’t in a position to volunteer.

“I didn’t get into the jeep that was going to the epicentre. It was dangerous and I was in severe shock,” she says.

“The organisation coordinating the emergency relief only allowed medically trained people, mountaineers or anyone who was mentally and physically fit to join them.

“Rescue teams had to trek up to remote villages and risk their lives to deliver aid to the most hard-hit regions.”

Charlene donated money so the local non-governmental organisation could buy medicines, blankets and other supplies at cheaper rates.

She donated her jacket, jumpers, socks and any warm clothing she could offer.

This was effective since she was in the area, but sending old blankets from Malta to Nepal is not effective because of shipping charges.

It’s more efficient to give money to a reputable NGO who can support the local economy and the aid reaches the victims faster.

But it is a long, slow recovery process.

Five years after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, more than 500,000 victims are still living in temporary shelters with no access to electricity, plumbing and sewage.

The country received huge amounts of international support and financial aid, but many blame the slow redevelopment of Haiti to a lack of well-coordinated relief efforts. Do-gooders arrived in Haiti with the intention to help but without the necessary skills or plans to make an impact.

Groups of doctors showed up expecting to be given food, shelter and security when there wasn’t even enough for the victims.

Volunteers need to plan ahead, and be self-sustaining. Often the money spent on your plane ticket would be better spent on water and medical supplies.

“This is a place where the wealth of a family is measured by the number of livestock,” reports Prabesh KC, a Nepali volunteer monitoring the situation in the remote villages of Katunje and Dhading close to the epicentre.

“Having two or five chickens will not help them rebuild their homes. Money for rebuilding is desperately needed.”

I was relieved to hear that Kolpana and my other friend and their families were shook up but had survived the quake. Many of them were still searching for most of their relatives living in remote villages.

Maltese NGO SOS Malta has local contacts on the ground who are assessing the situation and reporting back.

“We will wait until the emergency relief stage is over and only move in with a concrete development plan,” says Claudia Taylor-East, the organisation’s CEO.

At the moment it is difficult to access many villages in Nepal.

SOS Malta is appealing for donations so that funds are in place when the time is right to implement the long-term recovery plans.

It plans to adopt whole villages so as to channel the funds raised most effectively. The aim is to reconstruct schools so children can resume their education.

Family homes will be rebuilt and water-catchment systems will be implemented to ensure safe drinking water.

“In a society where most depend on a daily wage for survival, returning back to normalcy is a must. Everyone is keen to earn their share,” says Prabesh.

Do-gooders arrived in Haiti in 2010 eager to help, but without the skills or plans to make an impact

When planning humanitarian aid, SOS Malta and other NGOs prioritise working with locally run organisations like Save the Children Kathmandu.

“We support the locals by employing local staff, purchasing local materials and trading with local companies,” says Taylor-East.

SOS Malta has policies and procedures to guide both local and foreign volunteers.

If you decide you would like to join one of these missions, contact SOS Malta or another NGO. They have the experience and capacity to place volunteers where they can be of most help.

From personal experience, after I volunteered overseas for a while, I had my moments of confusion and hopelessness.

It’s more than a culture shock. You have to have a certain temperament and stamina.

And I wasn’t even under the pressure of rebuilding after an earthquake.

Volunteers working in disaster-struck regions are exposed to the realities of poverty, devastated landscapes, a country in ruins and, more importantly, the local people, who are experiencing stress, trauma and sometimes desperation. As a volunteer, an open heart and open mind, are crucial.

They need to be prepared to listen to the people’s needs and learn before and during their experience.

Before heading out, research where your skills are most valued, whether this would be strength to rebuild a wall or compassion to offer people a friendly smile and help bring back a sense of community.

One thing to remember is that you are not out there as a tourist to satisfy your own personal curiosities.

The chaos that ensues after an emergency ripples into long-term effects.

In Bosnia, children orphaned by the quake and vulnerable people were exposed to human traffickers who pounced on them for forced labour and sexual exploitation.

This is not a new reality to Nepal, either.

Volunteering with organisations who educate and employ these vulnerable people requires commitment for the long haul and dedication from volunteers – as opposed to lending a hand for a few weeks.

Volunteers and aid workers can be crucial for the long-term, sustainable regeneration of a disaster-struck country, but they must be professional,trained and part of an organised aid relief effort.

Nepali people are handling their hardships with grace.

“We will pick ourselves up. Nepali people sing songs while they rummage through the rubble. Just as we’ve recovered from a 10-year civil war, we have found a new sense of unity and courage,” says Prabesh.

“We’ve learnt we can’t trust the ground we stand on – but we can trust our community, that people far away will cheer us on, that we get knocked down but we get back up again.

“It is extraordinary, and it is worth telling.”

Serving a community means matching the desire to help with making informed decisions about how and where that help will be most effective.

Sometimes this means using your professional skills and personal strengths to offer a helping hand on the ground.

Other times it may be more appropriate to donate whatever is possible to a reputable organisation who is transparent about their relief efforts and keep track of where the money will go.

• To donate to SOS Malta’s fundraising appeal, send an SMS message to 50616125 for €4.66 or 50619226 to give €11.65. For more information about volunteer opportunities and online donations, visit www.sosmalta.org/donatenow.