Millions of people across the globe prayed and donated money for the victims of earthquake that struck Nepal in April. Many rushed to the country to volunteer for short-term services, but only a few stayed for long.

Manu Narendran, a 26-year-old structural engineer and bamboo scientist from Udaipur is leading a group of 4 volunteers from India for over a month now, who are making homes there day and night for the rendered homeless.

Not confined to the monitoring construction work, Manu and his friends are literally carrying loads of materials on their heads and back, down the hill daily, doing rammed earth walls with the community in Dhulikel village of Kavre district. The volunteers are living in tents, sometimes out in the open with zero facility but with high spirits and strength.

“We are a team of architects and structural civil engineers with working experience on bamboo, earth and other alternate building materials. Initially, we worked hands-on setting up community shelters made of bamboo and canvas. Right now, we are working as volunteers on a permanent house shelter program using bamboo and earth,” Manu said from Nepal.

Manu who graduated in structural engineering from CEPT (Center for Environmental Planning & Technology University) Ahmedabad, is one of the renowned bamboo structure scientists in the world who has worked in Singapore and Malaysia on similar projects. He has been a recipient of National Child Scientist Award at the age of 12 while in school in 2000.