Finding Jerusha

Jerusha Rai (30), one of the co-founders of Haatemalo Collective and a singer-songwriter and artist, has gone missing from her home since September 22, 2022. Jerusha was sighted in Chobhar in a CCTV footage on the night of September 22. Many of Jerusha’s friends, family members, colleagues and listeners have come together to search for her around the area where she was spotted. With multiple sightings that occurred in a week, individual search teams have volunteered their valuable time and used their own resources to map and anticipate Jerusha’s whereabouts, and poster and spread the word about her disappearance with locals in the areas where she was possibly seen.

It has been more than a week that Jerusha has gone missing. Relying on sightings that have been reported by people, Jerusha seems to have headed southwards from Chobhar, and further outside the valley. Due to the distance, time and additional resources needed to continue this search, Haatemalo Collective is assisting Jerusha’s family (her sister, Jessica, mother Champa and father Nagen) in launching this fundraiser. We are calling for funds from those who would like to help fund this search to find our Jerusha.

All the funds raised from this campaign will be used to pay the expenses for her search. As of Oct 2, immediate funding is needed to reimburse experienced trekkers and professional rescuers who will be stationed in the areas identified (Details available in https://bit.ly/3y82xiK). An estimation of 20 trekkers x Rs. 3,000 (+ Rs. 1,000) per day = Rs. 80,000 per day is required for the professionals involved.

Please contribute as much as you can to raise funds for this search. The Haatemalo Collective team along with Jessica ensure full accountability of funds. For donors in Nepal, please find the bank details below to contribute, and add “Finding Jerusha'' in the description while transferring:

Bank Name: Mega Bank

Account Name: Champa Ghimire

Account Number: 2110050006896

Phone number: 9851149180

Esewa: Pending

For people outside of Nepal, please use the ‘Donate’ button on the right side of this page.

Who is Jerusha to Haatemalo Collective?

Jerusha is many things to many people, but Jerusha is also the co-founding member of Haatemalo Collective and has been nurturing this Collective since day one, playing a huge role to shape it to what it is today. Jerusha has always used her platform to be very vocal about the rights of and injustices against marginalized communities, including Indigenous and Dalit friends and community members. We, like her family, love and miss Jerusha. We hope that she will return to us safe and sound.