My family and I just returned home from a trip to Nepal less than 2 weeks ago. This was our second trip there… because nobody visits Nepal only once. We love Nepal but we especially love the people of Nepal. We were already planning our next trip while on the 36 hour journey home.
To say that we are stressed and terribly upset to hear that on Saturday, April 25 – a mere 10 days after we left Nepal, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the country by killing thousands of people and injuring countless more, is an understatement.
Aftershocks continue to rattle the country on a regular basis. The most recent of which was a 6.7 magnitude – a major earthquake on its own. Thousands of people are still missing in Kathmandu and surrounding areas, buried under rubble and the number of people found dead is increasing rapidly.
Located in South Asia, nestled among the Himalayan Mountains between China and India, Nepal is a country filled with beautiful landscapes and even more beautiful people. Most famous for Mt. Everest, Nepal is heavily dependent on its tourism industry and is home to 8 of the 10 world’s highest mountains.
You must understand that although you may go to this country as a stranger, you will likely not leave without a flood of tears while saying goodbye to a whole new set of friends and family and probably even a vow to return. Nepalese people are friendly and welcoming with generous smiles and such beautiful hearts. Everybody who goes says the same thing.
The precious time we spend in Nepal really makes me redefine family because although I have no blood relatives living in Nepal – I now have a very large second family there. Menuka is our sponsor child (daughter) and she is the reason we visited Nepal, the reason why a big chunk of my heart is still there.
Menuka lives in an orphanage or “children’s home” in Kathmandu, the nation’s capital, along with 17 other amazing children. They are loved and cared for by Rajendra and his wife Bimala. Together, along with various members of their family and two house mothers this tight network of people who all live as a family unit are genuine, immensely nurturing and supportive of each other’s needs.
In Kathmandu and the surrounding areas, the quake flattened homes and streets were turned to rubble. There was a devastating loss of people and history with the numerous temples and historical landmarks that are now destroyed. Rescuers use their bare hands to dig for survivors still buried underneath piles of rubble.
Although Menuka and the rest of my family were unharmed during the quake with only minor damage to their home, they are sleeping outside until the four story house is deemed structurally sound. That being said, Menuka and many of the children living in the orphanage I so dearly love, come from a rural area of Nepal near Dhading, northwest of Kathmandu. This area was hit very hard, and some of the children’s extended families homes have been completely destroyed.
Some of these very homes my family and I just visited two short weeks ago. Homes filled with happy people that by our standards have nothing, yet they freely and generously offered us food, friendship and blessings in abundance. I enjoyed the most incredible experiences sharing that time with them.
Fresh water, food, temporary shelter and medical supplies are running incredibly low and desperately needed in these areas while people are living without power or running water. Waste is quickly piling up while fear is also increasingly rising as the situation in the country continues to deteriorate.
Many international disaster relief organizations are mobilizing to provide humanitarian aid and lifesaving assistance, in fact the Canadian government has sent a disaster relief assessment team in response to the earthquake and is contributing $5 million to relief efforts.
But the damage is in the billions. They simply need more help. The story I share with you about Menuka and the rest of my dearly beloved in Nepal is only one of millions.
I humbly ask on behalf of my family in Nepal, if you are able to, please carefully but quickly choose one of the various aid organizations active in Nepal and donate to it right away. Here is just a sample for you to choose from: Plan Canada; The Canadian Red Cross; Unicef Canada; CARE Canada; World Vision.
Alternatively, I am also collecting funds to give directly to the orphanage I am involved with at a grass-roots level, to be used to fulfill their immediate and long term needs. The money will be used towards repairs for their home in Kathmandu, as well as aiding their extended families in Dhading. The monsoons will begin there at the end of May and that leaves precious time to get some shelter built for these families.
Nepal has changed my life and it’s my duty to help change theirs. If you would like more information or to make a donation towards my efforts, please feel free to contact me at sarah@theanchor.ca.
