2015: Flowers for Nepal Challenge

Garlands raised $200,000 to rebuild after the Nepalese earthquake

June - August 2015

Students Rebuild joined forces with Save the Children to support children affected by the April 25, 2015 Nepal earthquake. The Bezos Family Foundation matched every non-perishable flower garland students mailed in with funding, and ultimately donated $200,000 to Save the Children for temporary schools and safe places to play, back-to-school kits and more.

Challenge Overview

When a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, students stepped up.

On April 25, 2015 a 7.9 magnitude earthquake killed over 8,000 people and damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, health facilities, roads, and parks in the mountainous central region surrounding the capital of Kathmandu.

Handmade flowers and heartfelt connection.

In Nepal, people use flowers during important ceremonies and to greet visitors with warmth and affection. Thousands of miles away, children from all over the world spent their summer busily creating beautiful flower garlands. Together, young people created thousands of handmade flower garlands. The Bezos Family Foundation matched each garland with funding, resulting in a $200,000 donation to Save the Children's emergency response in Nepal.

Rebuilding together.

Garlands made by teams helped Save the Children build 61 child-friendly safe spaces, including temporary shelters for learning, safe spaces for play, repairing damaged schools, and giving out back-to-school kits. In total, 254,500 children in Nepal were reached.

Gallery

Flower garlands for Nepal

In Nepal, people use flowers during important ceremonies and to greet visitors with warmth and affection. During this short Challenge, young people from around the world created thousands of flower garlands — putting their hearts and hands to work to learn about and support young people thousands of miles away. The thought, creativity, and compassion poured into each flower garland blew us away and heartened the Nepalese children who received them.

Students in Nepal receiving paper flower garlands made during the Challenge and delivered by Save the Children!

Flower garlands via Mark Toporoff on Instagram.

I never thought my life would be normal after the earthquake. I thought our life came to an end. But after being back at school, I am dreaming again.

The Challenge team at KIPP Houston.

CFS volunteer Seema with students in Nepal.

The Save the Children team distributed the paper flower garlands made during the Challenge to schools in Nepal.

Team Starfish Global Issues

Women carrying shelter kits in Nepal.

"I nearly cried to see my classroom completely ruined, but I feel safe in my new school now."

Flower garlands by thinkpeace girls!

The Save the Children emergency response team unloading supplies in Nepal.

The Super Bees

Touring the gounds of a damaged school in Nepal.

Where We Came From

Flower garlands across borders

Here are the places our Flowers for Nepal teams call home. Click through the map to learn more about each team.

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