Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund
Donation protected
After having studied International Development and taking a focus to South Asia it had become a dream of mine to visit the beautiful country of Nepal almost instantaneously. I had become enamoured with their history, culture, people and the mystique of the Himalayas. This past April I was fortunate enough to finally be able to travel to the other side of the world and spend some time volunteering at an orphanage called Innovative Social Centre. Upon my arrival I was immediately welcomed as one of their own and referred to as "sister" by all of the children. All of my uncertainty and nerves immediately subsided as it was evident they already considered me a part of their family.
All of the children at this particular orphanage had lost their parents during the civil war that took place about a decade ago. The family that has taken the 11 children in is by no means well off, yet they have spread the little they do have to be able to take care of everyone. The eldest son, Sujan - just 21 years old, heads the orphanage and is also heavily involved with other community outreach initiatives including the coordination of international volunteers for a local hospital, an organic farm as well as an animal shelter. He has also created a space for local women to come learn how to read and write. In turn, through all of these outlets, he has become very well connected throughout the region.
A mere four days after arriving in Kathmandu an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 hit the country. It had been the first of its kind in over 80 years. The moment it struck I had been in a bus with the 11 children, Sujan and 3 other volunteers on our way to visit a historical temple. I will always carry with me the haunting memory of motorbikes crashing to the ground around us and civilians flying to the edge of the roads. After evacuating the bus, survival mode had kicked in and we latched on to each other, quickly relocating to a field where we waited for several hours to see if the aftershocks would subside. We decided to venture back to the orphanage by foot, a four hour walk, to check on those we left behind. Reality set in with every step of our walk back; collapsed buildings, people in distress, the injured and deceased-- both human and animal. The roads were lined with civilian aid stations as the hospitals were either closed or already filled. Chaos had ensued everywhere.
That night we grabbed what we needed from the orphanage and slept in a nearby field with all of the children and the neighbouring people huddled under tarps. We woke several times throughout the night to massive aftershocks, which 3 weeks later are still occurring to a large extent. There was so much uncertainty as all power had been lost and communication throughout the country was scarce. The prices of all goods and services were undergoing immense inflation and water was becoming a crucial yet difficult commodity to obtain.
In the morning, myself and several of the other volunteers left to seek information from the Australian Embassy. Once we were informed of the severity of the situation, we returned to the orphanage to grab our belongings. At the orphanage we were just another mouth to feed and access to communication and information was non existent; we decided it would be best to stay at the Embassy going forward. Our goodbyes were difficult as there was so much uncertainty. As we left, the children were telling US to stay safe and to take care of ourselves - a testament to their strength and selflessness.
On May 12, another earthquake hit with a magnitude of 7.3. Their situation continues to get more dire and thus our help is tremendously needed-- monsoon season has also begun early, thus rain and thunderstorms are occurring almost nightly. Sujan, given his immense knowledge and connections in surrounding areas, has been taking care of not only those living under his roof but nearby villages as well. He is providing them with tents, medical aid supplies, food and water. I want nothing more than to help his efforts by channeling any resources that I can harness on our end of the world towards him and the people he is able to reach. Any amount will go a long way in a country in as much need as Nepal right now. Every $ raised will be going to Sujan and his efforts directly.
If you would like to follow his efforts directly, add him to facebook --> https://www.facebook.com/jovialdisaster?fref=ts
This cause is so close to my heart and having experienced it has given me a world of perspective. We, as human beings, are truly so much more connected than we can imagine and even though this tragedy may be occurring far beyond our realm of grasp or understanding we should not turn a blind eye. It is our duty as citizens of this world to help one another out in times of need. This is one of them.
If you have any questions whatsoever please do not hesitate to message/ text/ call me directly and I thank you immensely for your time and consideration!
Jenn :)
All of the children at this particular orphanage had lost their parents during the civil war that took place about a decade ago. The family that has taken the 11 children in is by no means well off, yet they have spread the little they do have to be able to take care of everyone. The eldest son, Sujan - just 21 years old, heads the orphanage and is also heavily involved with other community outreach initiatives including the coordination of international volunteers for a local hospital, an organic farm as well as an animal shelter. He has also created a space for local women to come learn how to read and write. In turn, through all of these outlets, he has become very well connected throughout the region.
A mere four days after arriving in Kathmandu an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 hit the country. It had been the first of its kind in over 80 years. The moment it struck I had been in a bus with the 11 children, Sujan and 3 other volunteers on our way to visit a historical temple. I will always carry with me the haunting memory of motorbikes crashing to the ground around us and civilians flying to the edge of the roads. After evacuating the bus, survival mode had kicked in and we latched on to each other, quickly relocating to a field where we waited for several hours to see if the aftershocks would subside. We decided to venture back to the orphanage by foot, a four hour walk, to check on those we left behind. Reality set in with every step of our walk back; collapsed buildings, people in distress, the injured and deceased-- both human and animal. The roads were lined with civilian aid stations as the hospitals were either closed or already filled. Chaos had ensued everywhere.
That night we grabbed what we needed from the orphanage and slept in a nearby field with all of the children and the neighbouring people huddled under tarps. We woke several times throughout the night to massive aftershocks, which 3 weeks later are still occurring to a large extent. There was so much uncertainty as all power had been lost and communication throughout the country was scarce. The prices of all goods and services were undergoing immense inflation and water was becoming a crucial yet difficult commodity to obtain.
In the morning, myself and several of the other volunteers left to seek information from the Australian Embassy. Once we were informed of the severity of the situation, we returned to the orphanage to grab our belongings. At the orphanage we were just another mouth to feed and access to communication and information was non existent; we decided it would be best to stay at the Embassy going forward. Our goodbyes were difficult as there was so much uncertainty. As we left, the children were telling US to stay safe and to take care of ourselves - a testament to their strength and selflessness.
On May 12, another earthquake hit with a magnitude of 7.3. Their situation continues to get more dire and thus our help is tremendously needed-- monsoon season has also begun early, thus rain and thunderstorms are occurring almost nightly. Sujan, given his immense knowledge and connections in surrounding areas, has been taking care of not only those living under his roof but nearby villages as well. He is providing them with tents, medical aid supplies, food and water. I want nothing more than to help his efforts by channeling any resources that I can harness on our end of the world towards him and the people he is able to reach. Any amount will go a long way in a country in as much need as Nepal right now. Every $ raised will be going to Sujan and his efforts directly.
If you would like to follow his efforts directly, add him to facebook --> https://www.facebook.com/jovialdisaster?fref=ts
This cause is so close to my heart and having experienced it has given me a world of perspective. We, as human beings, are truly so much more connected than we can imagine and even though this tragedy may be occurring far beyond our realm of grasp or understanding we should not turn a blind eye. It is our duty as citizens of this world to help one another out in times of need. This is one of them.
If you have any questions whatsoever please do not hesitate to message/ text/ call me directly and I thank you immensely for your time and consideration!
Jenn :)
Organizer
Jenn O'Brien
Organizer
Burlington, ON
