Nepal, Sept. 18 -- As the country has been greatly affected by the violent protests of September 9 that left hundreds of government buildings across the nation in ashes, communities are now rallying to bring essential services back to life. In several districts, locals have taken it upon themselves to clean up charred offices, salvage what remains, and even set up temporary facilities to resume disrupted services.

In ward 12 of Pokhara Metropolitan City, where the ward office was reduced to rubble, local residents have been at the forefront of the restoration drive. The sight of the burning office left local Sushil KC shaken. "The groups that set the office on fire did not even belong to our community. They came in two or three groups, a...