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Lockdown in Nepal
Tobias Vokuhl, formerly of Beard construction, describes his life in Nepal under lockdown.
Former contracts manager with Beard Construction and active
member of CIOB Oxford Hub Tobias Vokuhl took a sabbatical where he and his
young family moved to Nepal to project manage various construction projects.
Tobias is now working in a voluntary capacity supporting
INF, a local NGO, in disaster response and resilience building, as well as
acting as a CIOB representative with a view to supplying input into the CIOB
South Asia Strategy development later in the year. He has posted a regular blog
about his experiences. Here is an extract from the most recent post in early
April:
“These are indeed unusual times, wherever one is in this
world. Recorded numbers of covid-19 positive individuals in Nepal are very low
at five, but only 1,000 tests have been done to date in a country of 30
million, so it is hard to know what the real picture is. The health system
certainly is not equipped at all for a wave of intensive care-requiring
patients, so it is better to keep people apart as best as possible.
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“Several other expat families have left Nepal prematurely
within the last three weeks due to the pandemic, which has been emotional for
the children, as good friends have suddenly departed.
“If you are a Nepali on daily labour wages and live ‘hand to mouth’, the current lockdown circumstances are certainly more than a distraction.”
Tobias Vokuhl, INF
“We are expecting to see the current situation through from
here in Pokhara, and a good group of other expats have remained and are
supporting each other, and critically, are supporting any INF medical response
if required. INF medical facilities are
already actively preparing for eventualities, and INF’s medical and disaster
response staff are supporting the local government covid-19 response team in
their planning efforts.
“I am working from home now, and we are also putting a mixed
daily programme of activities together for our kids to keep the days
interesting. In that respect we share the fate of many other families around
the world.
“If you are a Nepali on daily labour wages and live ‘hand to
mouth’, the current lockdown is certainly more than just a distraction; it can
literally mean hunger for you and for your family.
“It is great to see that local government and Pokhara
churches have started to collect money in support of vulnerable families in the
area and are getting support systems in place. More, however, needs to be done
as time goes on and funds will start running low for many more low-income
families.
“For us, knowing of such bigger existential challenges,
sharply puts our minor inconveniences in perspective.”
The November/December 2025 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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