Four people inspired to help a community following a horrifying earthquake are raising money to rebuild a school.

Nepal was devastated on April 25 2015, leaving almost 9,000 dead and more than 22,000 injured, and turning plenty of homes and other structures into rubble.

Just over a year later, a man from Gravesend is among those working on The Mandali School Project, which is aiming to restore the building in the village of Duerali at the centre of the country.

Nish Moheeputh, 33, of Chadwick Close, is the project’s fundraising and events co-ordinator and explained how the bid to rebuild the school came about.

“The project was founded by Dr Sarah Dickson in July 2016, after spending five months living and travelling in Nepal earlier this year,” he said.

“After being truly humbled by people’s generosity amidst all of tragedy and destruction, Sarah was moved to want to give back to Nepal.

“While staying in Duerali village, Gorkha, she came across the Mandali School and was shocked at the state of the building. The poverty was stark, some children were without shoes and almost all showed signs of malnourishment.”

The Mandali School is the only primary school in the area and has 93 students aged between four and nine, but three of its classrooms were destroyed by the earthquake.

Dr Dickson set out her ambition to the headmaster and the project was born, with Nish getting involved shortly after.

He continued: “I met Sarah a few years ago through friends, lost touch, and recently re-connected. After hearing Sarah’s story in relation to the earthquakes in Nepal, I immediately fell in love with the project.

“I was invited to join a supper club, which was to raise money for the project, and through that met some amazing people, namely project manager Rob Gray and social media co-ordinator Siobhan Bailey, who are committee members on the project.

“To see the drive, passion, motivation, love and support from these people for the project was not only refreshing, but inspiring, as if it actually gave me a new lease of life.”

The former Gravesend Grammar School pupil, who also represented both Gravesham Amateur Boxing Club and Old Gravesendians Rugby Club, has previously done charity work for Help For Heroes, Beat Bullying and Darent Valley Hospital.

Among the fundraising efforts for this latest drive are Life2Nepal t-shirts, a charity football game, pub quizzes, and a buy a brick campaign.

The school will be rebuilt using something called an earth brick system, which infuses interlocking bricks with iron bars, creating earthquake resistant structures, and is up to 40% cheaper that standardised building methods in rural areas.

“To see the drive, passion, motivation, love and support from these people for the project was not only refreshing, but inspiring, as if it actually gave me a new lease of life" Nish Moheeputh

People can buy a brick to be used in the school’s reconstruction and will receive a certificate in return.

“The Mandali School Project is not only about raising funds to purchase the brick machine and build the school,” said Nish.

“By working together with the charity Build Up Nepal, they will teach local people how to use the earth brick machines, and in turn the people who have been taught can teach others in the community.

“As the saying goes, ‘Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime’.”

The project’s next fundraising event is on Friday September 30 at the Jewel Bar in Piccadilly, London. Running from 7pm until 12.30am, with bands, raffles, food and drink, t-shirts for sale and a presentation. Attendees should donate £10.

Nish will be holding a supper club on Saturday October 15 when he will cook a four course Indian meal and give a presentation on the project. You can brink your own drinks and a £20 donation is requested.

Keep up to date with the project at facebook.com/mandalischoolproject and show your support by donating at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mandalischoolproject.