Photographer leads grass-roots relief efforts in remote regions of Nepal

It's been four days since the earthquake in Nepal and for many relief is still very far away.  However, Nepalese photographer NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, and others, are taking matters into their own hands.

Kakshapati has been organizing people over the past few days to offer much needed help to people affected by the earthquake. Her grassroots group of survivors is now more than 100 people strong, and has been focusing on the more remote areas that have yet to receive assistance.

"We have been travelling out on four-wheel drive jeeps, on motorbikes and also on foot," she tells As It Happens guest host Dave Seglins. "We've been working on the southern side of Lalitpur, which is a district bordering Kathmandu, the main city, and also in a district called Kavre."

The devastation from Saturday's earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks is widespread across Nepal.

"We're realizing that shelter is most people's primary concern, because people are in the outdoors and because of this rain and impending monsoon, people really want something at least over their heads," she says. "We've been trying to procure and distribute tarps."

"The primary concern is definitely shelter and then, of course, people need food and basic medical supplies and water as well."

Kakshapati is concerned that her group is making further inroads into parts of Nepal than the government or other larger international aid efforts. 

"Generally, I think there's very little information that's coming out from the government, but also from large aid agencies like the UN or other larger NGOs. Accessing information has been a real challenge for us and for many people who want to try to volunteer and help out in various ways."

She has also set up a relief fund and is trying to raise awareness of the devastation through her Nepal Photo Project on Instagram. Here are some of the photos posted there today: