A YEAR on from the two earthquakes which devastated the Himalayan nation of Nepal, a Malvern student has spoken about his experiences helping local people rebuild their country.

Edward Pountney, aged 19, a volunteer in the Makwanpur district of Nepal, works with the local community to raise awareness about water, hygiene and sanitation issues.

His team is also improving the water system with the community so they have a more reliable and plentiful supply.

He said: "I wanted to go to Nepal to experience the different culture and way of life, especially in the more remote mountain villages.

"It intrigued me to see how people adapt to different natural conditions and also how a country develops and what the differences between what we think the people need, what they think they need and what their government thinks that they need.

"In some ways Nepal has recovered surprisingly well.

"This work is important as it allows the community to work with us and also think for themselves about issues they may not have considered before and make their own decisions about what they need in their village.

"It also allows us to build up relationships with both the community and the in country volunteers, something that you wouldn’t have on other projects. We are also raising awareness about the basic foundations which are needed to allow a community to develop further, as once they have things, such as a water system that they can rely on, they can then further develop.”

Mr Pountney, a former student of King's Worcester, will start a degree course in archaeology with forensic science at the University of Exeter later this year.

His work in Nepal has been made possible by Raleigh International and the Department for International Development-funded International Citizen Service programme that sends young people on placements to work on development projects overseas.

With a total commitment of £70 million to the earthquake relief effort, the DFID has been one of the largest donors. The UK’s efforts are increasingly focused on helping the Nepali people with the longer-term recovery of their country.

International development secretary Justine Greening said: "I saw for myself how devastating last year’s earthquakes in Nepal were, and our long-standing 200-year old friendship showed through in the UK public’s hugely generous response.

"It meant we were able to quickly reach the Nepali people with essential supplies, making sure the most vulnerable were protected throughout the following freezing winter. One year on, we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Nepal as they repair and rebuild.”