Many Nepalis are still living in tents three months after a massive earthquake hit the country. DanChurchAid distributes cash so that the affected can buy building materials for shelters
"There are several big cracks in my house," says 70-year-old Thulimaya Tamang.
We meet her in Lukari Bhanjyang in the Laliput province - one of the areas most affected by the earthquake that struck Nepal three months ago. Like most buildings in the outlying hilly areas surrounding the Kathmandu Valley her home is uninhabitable, she says. Her extended family of 13 people are living in tents.
Lukari Bhanjyangs family is one out of 1,300 families that today will receive an amount of 10,000 Nepali Rupiah - equivalent to US$100 - from DCA and partner organization Friends Service Council Nepal (FSCN) to build shelter for.
"We have decided that the best means to support our village friends to put up shelters for the current monsoon rainy season and wintertime coming up for November, is to provide them with cash," says the head of DanChurchAid in Nepal, David Smith.
"People will then go to the functional markets to buy the roofing sheets or other building materials they need to make their shelters weatherproof and warmer."
By handing out cash, DanChurchAid is also helping kick starting the local trade, which was also affected by the earthquake.
Distributes cash with mobile phones
DanChurchAid has chosen to distribute cash to the families that need help the most. The families have received an ID card and it has been verified if they have a mobile phone. In cooperation with the local telecommunications company Hello Paisaa, DanChurchAid can easily and securely transfer money to the families.
DCA is the first development agency in Nepal to introduce mobile phones for cash transfers.
"We are pioneering the use of modern technology to make this relief operation faster and more efficient," says David Smith.
Another happy recipient of money today is 27-year-old Thing Tamang. Her husband abroad like millions of other Nepalis, and she lives with her mother in law and her little son.
"Since my husband is working abroad, I need to support my family. I hope to add the money which I received today to what I got earlier form the government, to make a proper shed," she says.