In April 2015, Nepal experienced an earthquake on an unprecedented scale. At a magnitude of 7.8, it killed over 9000 people and caused an estimated $10 billion. Aftershocks went on for weeks and months afterwards, causing continued avalanches and landslides resulting in an ever more difficult relief effort.

Despite having never visited the country, I knew that I wanted to help – I had Gurkha (Nepalese soldiers in the British military) friends from my time in the Army. When Team Rubicon UK — a disaster response NGO that harnesses the skills of veterans — first mentioned a shelter construction project they were planning for the hard-to-reach communities, I knew I had to be a part of it. I was in in the middle of a challenging career transition, but this had to come first.