Christians and Hindus join forces to help Nepal recover from earthquake

One year after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Nepal, the country continues to struggle to get back on its feet, but good things have come out of the tragedy.

Communities have come together in their effort to rebuild their lives. In Nepal, Hindus comprise the majority of the population while Christians are the minority. There was obvious division between the two groups, with the latter often experiencing persecution.

However, after the earthquake, Hindus and Christians have started working together, forging relationships as they did, according to Christian Today.

This was confirmed by Pastor Prajwak Thakuri from Makwanpur. Sharing his experiences with Christian development agency Tearfund, the pastor said doors have opened up for Hindus and Christians to serve the community together. His church started a project called "Sangasangai," which means "together," where people can help meet the needs of other people.

Additionally, the church and the community have cleared the path leading to the main road, making it easier for people to go in and out of the village. One of their future projects is setting up a water source for the community.

"The work with the community has been really positive. Before the Sangasangai group, the community didn't have much to do with us here and very few people would let Christians into their house," Prajwak told Tearfund. "This has given us a way forward to work together, and to change the way the community sees us and begins to accept us."

Steve Collins, who heads Tearfund in Asia, said more and more people in Nepal are being proactive about their situation.

"In a sense, it's difficult to say there is good coming out of it [the earthquake], because there is so much suffering, but God is able to work in such a crisis as this," Collins said. He added that the earthquake opened the opportunity for churches to have clear roles in the communities they serve.