Nepal Flood Relief : Emergency Aid on the Ground

Why I'm organizing this fundraiser

My name is Helen Lin, and I’m a photographer, filmmaker, and nonprofit founder based in San Diego, California. My work has taken me around the world, with a focus on capturing meaningful stories, people, and places.

In 2023, I traveled to Nepal and completed the Annapurna Circuit, documenting the experience. Nepal is a place that has had a lasting impact on me. A few years ago, I traveled to Nepal and filmed a YouTube video documenting my experience on the Annapurna Circuit, where I experienced firsthand the generosity, resilience, and warmth of the Nepali people and the communities that make trekking in the Himalayas possible.

Photo with Helen and friends on their Annapurna Circuit hike with the Discovery World Trekking Team

When I learned about the devastating floods and landslides affecting Nepal, I wanted to find a way to help from here in the United States.

I have been in touch with my friend, Paul Gurung, the Founder of Discovery World Trekking (DWT), a Nepal-based trekking company on how we can team up to support the relief efforts from the floods. DWT has access to drivers, guides, and community partners who can help identify urgent needs and coordinate the delivery of relief supplies to the people and communities impacted.

I am organizing this fundraiser independently as a U.S.-based individual. I am not an employee of Discovery World Trekking, and DWT is not a nonprofit organization. DWT's role is to serve as a local logistics and coordination partner for this emergency relief effort.

This is a community-led fundraiser and donations are not represented as tax-deductible charitable contributions.

This fundraiser supports communities in Nepal that have been devastated by catastrophic floods and landslides.

On August 26, 2026, a flash flood triggered by an ice-and-rock avalanche in the Himalayas tore through northern Nepal, sending water, mud, and debris across the region. Communities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and along the Nepal–Tibet border were hit hard.

Homes were swept away, roads and bridges were destroyed, and families lost not only shelter, but also access to schools, health facilities, businesses, and the basic systems they depend on every day.

For many people, this disaster has taken away their homes, livelihoods, and sense of stability in an instant.

How your donation will be used...

Donations will support direct, disaster-relief-related expenses for communities affected by the floods.

Based on urgent needs identified by DWT and its local partners, funds will

be used for:

DWT and its local partners will continue assessing needs and adapting the response as conditions change.

Because Nepal, particularly rural and disaster-affected areas, often relies heavily on cash transactions, it is possible that not every purchase or payment has a traditional electronic record.

To maintain accountability, relief expenditures will be documented through a combination of vendor receipts and handwritten documentation where applicable, distribution reports, photographs, and other reasonable supporting documentation.

Whenever practical, funds will be transferred in stages rather than as one lump sum through WISE. This allows us to document each round of relief before additional funds are sent.

Why local connections matter?

The scale of this disaster is enormous, and international humanitarian organizations and the Government of Nepal are responding.

But mountainous communities can be extremely difficult to reach, especially after roads and bridges have been destroyed.

Discovery World Trekking has spent years building relationships throughout Nepal's trekking and rural communities. Its network of local guides, drivers, and community partners can help identify urgent needs, purchase supplies locally, and coordinate transportation to affected areas where access is still possible.

The goal is not to replace the larger humanitarian response, but to complement it by adding another trusted local network focused on practical, urgent relief.

Our commitment to transparency

Funds will be collected through this GoFundMe by me, the U.S.-based campaign organizer, and maintained separately from my personal or photography business operations.

Funds will then be transferred to Nepal through documented financial channels to support relief activities coordinated by Discovery World Trekking and its local partners.

A clear record will be maintained showing the flow of funds, including:

Funds raised through GoFundMe → funds received by the campaign organizer → documented transfers to Nepal → relief purchases and transportation → distribution to affected communities.

Donations will be used exclusively for disaster-relief-related expenses and will not be used for normal trekking operations, tourism activities, or personal expenses.

DWT is a private trekking company, not a nonprofit organization, and its role in this effort will be clearly disclosed throughout the campaign.

Regular updates will be shared with donors, including:

The people of Nepal gave me an experience and memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Now, during this devastating moment, I hope to use the connections I made there to help bring support back to the communities that have been affected.

Your donation will help provide essential supplies and practical support to families facing unimaginable loss.

Every contribution, no matter the amount, can help. If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser with your friends, family, and community.

Thank you for standing with Nepal. ❤️

Please note: This is a community-led fundraiser and donations are not represented as tax-deductible charitable contributions.

Hiking to highpoint on Thorong La Pass sitting at an elevation of 5,416 meters (17,769 feet) on the Annapurna Circuit with DWT