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<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:georgia,serif;display:inline"></div>
Dear Friends of Builders Without Borders,</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"></span><br>
<span
style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Four
</span><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span
style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span class="im"><font
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">weeks
ago, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck
central Nepal, destroying homes,
schools, and historic buildings, and
leaving thousands of families without
shelter as the monsoon approaches. In
villages surrounding the epicenter,</font><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto"> 90% of
homes </span><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">have
completely collapsed</span><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto"> or </span><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">were
severely damaged and rendered
uninhabitable
<div class="gmail_default"
style="display:inline">, and recent
aftershocks<span class="im"><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">
caused the collapse of thousands
more buildings. In the wake of
this destruction, Nepal's
communities now face the daunting
task of rebuilding over a half a
million homes and over 800
schools--using seismically-sound
construction that can withstand
potential future quakes. Builders
Without Borders hopes to be part
of the solution.</span></span></div>
</span></span></span><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto"></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span>
<div link="blue" vlink="purple"
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<div>
<div
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">Builders
Without Borders (BWB) is exploring
sustainably-designed housing options to
help rebuild Nepal</span><font
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">. Our
focus is on affordability, safety,
durability, and locally-sourced building
materials, in conjunction with design that
is an appropriate fit for Nepal's climate
and culture.<br>
<br>
</font></b><span
style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span
class="im">
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">Since
BWB was founded in 1999, we have
developed extensive experience in
post-earthquake rebuilding in
Pakistan (</span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.paksbab.org/"
style="text-align:-webkit-auto"
target="_blank">www.paksbab.org</a><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">)
and Haiti (</span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.builderswithoutborders.org/"
style="text-align:-webkit-auto"
target="_blank">www.builderswithoutborders.org</a><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">) as
well as other sustainable building
projects in places of need. We are
now forming a small team to offer
our expertise, in partnership with
well-established organizations in
Nepal. BWB is in discussion with
Changing Lives Nepal (</span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.changinglivesnepal.org/"
style="text-align:-webkit-auto"
target="_blank">http://www.changinglivesnepal.org/</a><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">),
whose director has 17 years
experience in Nepal and with K
<div class="gmail_default"
style="display:inline">RM</div>
EF (</span><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.krmef.org/"
style="text-align:-webkit-auto"
target="_blank">http://www.krmef.org/</a><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">)
<div class="gmail_default"
style="display:inline"> a local
NGO</div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="display:inline">near
Katmandu, which survived
relatively intact, and is
currently helping thousands of
people with supplies of water and
food, and immediate shelter<span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">. The BWB team is excited to have direct
connections with organizations
that have on-the-ground
experience in Nepal.</span></span></div>
</span></span></div>
</span></span></div>
<b>
<div
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">We need
your support to begin rebuilding Nepal--to
support research, design, and development
of resilient reconstruction for homes and
schools. Please consider a tax-deductible </b><b
style="text-align:-webkit-auto">donation
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:georgia,serif;display:inline">
</div>
--
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:georgia,serif;display:inline">
</div>
all donations will go entirely toward
rebuilding projects in Nepal. </b></div>
</b></div>
</div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b>DONATE
HERE: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://builderswithoutborders.org/donate/index.htm"
target="_blank">http://builderswithoutborders.org/donate/index.htm</a> </b>by
check or Paypal and please indicate “Rebuilding
Nepal” in whichever donation method you choose.</span></div>
<div link="blue" vlink="purple"
style="text-align:-webkit-auto" lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">BWB
is committed to sustainable rebuilding
projects and skills training in the months,
as emergency relief subsides. We envision
our initial projects leading directly to
more homes constructed with safe and
sustainable technologies with our ongoing
assistance. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">We
will keep you apprised of our project plans
as they evolve, but <b>we need your help to
get started</b>. Your support is greatly
appreciated--thank you!</span></p>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br>
</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Sincerely,</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br>
</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">The
Builders Without Borders team</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br>
</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Catherine
Wanek</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Martin
Hammer</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Andy
Mueller</span></div>
<div><span
style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
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</span></div>
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