Heavy rains from 26th -28th September 2024, caused flash floods, landslides, and river overflow, affecting 44 districts, with Kathmandu Valley and the Koshi and Madhesh Provinces hit the hardest. Over 90,000 people were impacted, with 148 lives lost. Infrastructure, including hydroelectric plants, was severely damaged, resulting in a significant power outage. The Integrated Center for Disability Inclusive Development (ICDD) at CHEERS was devastated by the floods. The Center, which provided holistic care for children with disabilities, was submerged, damaging vital equipment and the facility. Twelve years of hard work to support children with disabilities were washed away, leaving everyone emotionally exhausted and heartbroken. The walls that had echoed with laughter, learning, and growth were painted with mud reaching almost the ceiling.

The materials, equipment, and tools painstakingly gathered over a decade and gifted by several organizations (DFID through Sight Savers; USAID through Childhood Blindness program; Lions Club International through Sight First; Rotary International; Government of Finland through Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR); Global Fund for Children with Hearing Loss (GFCHL) and Japan International Cooperation Agency;(JICA) were all drowned rendering most of them useless for future.

For those who built this place, the loss was deeply emotional, like losing family. The flood destroyed more
than a building—it washed away the hopes of families who saw this center as a lifeline. Yet, in the aftermath, the strength of the community has begun to shine. Six weeks later, the center remains in ruins, but the spirit it embodied lives on. The CHEERS community—neighbors, families, and supporters—has rallied together, proving that the Center’s vision is unbreakable.

Despite the floods, CHEERS staff quickly acted to move children to safety and save whatever equipment they could.