From September 17, the volunteer builders will spend two weeks repairing school buildings that were damaged in the April and May earthquakes.

Orange builders John Spanjer, Garry Morgan, Paul Baker and Brett Warrender, Orange bricklayer Chris Borys, Orange residents Michael and Donna Skeen and Katoomba builder Michael Roffey will take part in the rebuilding effort.

Mr Spanjer said it would be his first construction project overseas and, to an extent, the volunteers would be flying blind.

“We wanted to do it earlier, we wanted to go in June, but it takes a bit to organise all the visas and all the stuff, and there’s a whole heap of things we need to comply with,” he said.

“Then the monsoon hit and we couldn’t get there.

“There’s more people that have already expressed an interest in going there to help so we are going to do a survey of the area to see where help is needed.”

Mr Spanjer said the volunteers would camp in tents and mainly use hand tools due to unreliable electrical networks that could see the power go on or off at any time of the day.

He said there would be no running water.

“All the hardware shops have donated tools to use and people have handed me cheques for $1000, I’ve been given cash as well,” he said.

“People have been kind and generous, all the money that’s been donated will go towards buying tools.”

He said the project came about after he bought a Rotary shelter box for Nepal and one for Vanuatu.

Since then, he found out more about the situation from Rotary Club of Orange Day Break member Mary Brell, who was in Nepal in April when the first earthquake hit, and who had previously helped the school where they would be doing the repairs.

tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au