Lockdown in Kathmandu

Lockdown in Kathmandu was relatively kind to the trekkers stuck there. Other than trying to stave off boredom they were well looked after in general and at least had a social group to interact with. The reality of life for the residents of Kathmandu was an entirely different matter. Their biggest struggle was one of survival. This was brought home to me when I got involved with a fledgling project tentatively dubbed as Lockdown Lunches.

The background behind this project and why it was so necessary lay in the impact lockdown had in Nepal. There was no social welfare safety net and with lockdown many hand to mouth businesses had no means of making money. No money equals no food. The reality of lockdown for many Kathmandu residents was one of constant hunger and a struggle to survive. Forget the inconvenience of being stuck indoors and the associated boredom that has been so well documented on social media, this was a struggle to stay alive.

An eclectic mix of backpackers and Nepalis came together in the midst of this to cook and distribute food throughout Kathmandu. These photographs document the project and the wonderful people we served.