Anthony Alfano spent six weeks this year in Nepal working with an international non-governmental organization ( NGO ), All Hands Volunteers, helping communities rebuild after the devastating earthquakes last April and May.
Both earthquakes registered greater than 7.0 magnitude and combined, more than 9,200 were killed.
"When the earthquakes hit, I remember wanting to commit to helping in more than just a monetary way," said Alfano, 25, who lives in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. "[Local] obligations at the time would not allow me to leave the city, [but], at the end of 2015, I embarked on a few transitions in my professional career and personal life, which allowed me to make the trip over in the beginning of 2016."
All Hands worked with the Nepali government, and villages and communities to help rebuild transitional homes and schools, Alfano said days after returning to his native Illinoishe attended Huntley High School in the suburbs and graduated from DePaul University, where in 2011 he was the school's first openly gay student body president.
"This is a community and beneficiary ( person/family ) driven process," he said. "As such, each home is built to be earthquake-resilient, but only temporary. The idea is for the beneficiaries and communities to go through government sponsored training and to transition out of the structures and rebuild a more robust and fitting home for themselves and their families."
Alfano tagged the Nepali people as "some of the most peaceful I've ever met."
"You get a real sense that they care about being in the present moment and not worrying about life's travails that we are sometimes so deeply distracted with in the U.S.," he said. "I love trying [to] chat with them, [due to the language barrier,] sharing stories about our lives and the world in general.
"So many Nepali were impacted by the earthquakes, [so] you're hard-pressed for it not to come up in conversation. Whether or not they were directly affected, most know someone who has lost family members or friends, or had significant damage to their homes and villages. While it's quite sad to hear and see the struggles they are facing, it's also inspiring to witness the resiliency of those who keep moving forward despite the obstacles they face."
Alfano praised his fellow All Hands volunteers, who joined him from such places as the UK, France, Portugal, Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Italy, Israel, Oman, Brazil, and Australia. "Everyone seemed to get on very well with each other, and we engaged on many aspects of our different countries and cultures," he said.
Alfano fundraised before he left and is still seeking donations through his gofundme.com page. "Donations will cover cost overruns as well as donations to the community in Nepal," he said.
To donate, go to www.gofundme.com/q6sezc .