In the aftermath of the massive earthquakes in Nepal, we were inundated with requests for help. As emergency aid was rushed to the affected areas, we wanted to focus on finding a way we could help Tibetans rebuild their lives and businesses in the long-term.

Towards the end of last year, a proposal came to us from the Dolma Fund, a local charity in Nepal. This reflected our aims perfectly: it offered skills training, long-term sustainability, earthquake-resistant shelter and a means for people to rebuild their own lives and get their businesses up and running again.

Bridim is a remote ethnic Tibetan village in the Langtang National Park in Nepal. The village was built in a traditional style and receives many eco-tourists each year who come to enjoy the village's cultural and architectural heritage and stunning scenery. This tourism is an essential livelihood for many of the village families.

The earthquakes of April and May 2015 destroyed the village and left the entire population of 200 people living under tarpaulins.

The Dolma Fund is working to teach the villagers sustainable, earthquake-resistant ways to rebuild their houses and businesses using materials carefully salvaged from the rubble. It is essential that these homes are rebuilt in the traditional style to bring eco-tourism back to the area.

Training the villagers to build the earthquake-resistant houses themselves also means that no outside help will be needed for future repairs and construction.

The first stage of the project has just been completed. Villagers have received 'on the job' training and have managed to complete a brand new, earthquake-resistant, eco-friendly community centre! This is providing shelter for village families during the cold winter months while reconstruction of individual houses begins.

Work is also underway on repairing the village water system, bridges and footpaths so life can get back to normal as quickly as possible. In the next stage, a two-storey model house will be built, allowing more villagers to gain building skills. Once the house is finished, enough villagers will have the necessary skills to rebuild all of the 54 homes and businesses destroyed by the earthquakes.

A big thank you to everyone who donated to our earthquake appeal last summer and made it possible for us to send a grant of £25,000 to this project. We will keep you updated as work continues and the villagers are able to return to their own homes.