As we are all aware, there has been a
terrible earthquake in Nepal recently, and though several areas were
affected, most the devastation took place in Kathmandu. I visited the
city only a year ago and at that time stayed with a local named Sujit
in a quiet suburb in the surrounding hills. I'd first contacted Sujit
via the website couchsurfing.com and I was welcomed into his home for
5 days where he and his family treated me with the utmost kindness.
The experience was a very positive one, and I later wrote about it
and all the other wonderful things from my trip to Nepal. The link to
the blog post is here: shimostar.blogspot.com/2014/09/above-it-all.html
Then the earthquake struck. I of course
was very worried about Sujit and his family until word came that none
of them were injured. The disaster occurred midday so they were not
at home, and it was fortunate they weren't. Their three-story brick
house ended up collapsing into a pile of rubble. At the same time
this means they are now homeless, and due to the difficult situation,
Sujit has reached out to his international friends.
I have already made a donation to the
family through a fundraising website. Hopefully, the current one will
remain up for a while. The original site was taken down. As terrible
as it sounds, scammers are taking advantage of the situation to make
cash. This is disrupting the system and causing trouble for the true
victims. Thankfully Sujit's brother who lives in England was able to
get another site going for the family. They certainly need the help.
This photo shows what is left of their
home. The family is now living in an open tent where they
are receiving limited emergency relief. I cannot even
begin to imagine how terrible this must be for them.
I am usually not the type to ask much of
anything from anyone, but in this case I feel I must.
On behalf of my friend Sujit I am looking to others--both friends and family--for
aid in the form of a donation. Any amount would be
appreciated, because it all adds up, and in Nepal
even a little money can go a long way.
Here is the link to the fundraising
website that Sujit's brother has set up: www.gofundme.com/tgyfck
Again, any donation whatsoever would mean
a great deal to this family during their time of need.
I'll finish by saying that I hope my friend and his family will remain safe, and soon be able to get back on their feet, and that many people will find it in their hearts to help make it happen.
Thank you for taking the time to read
this.
Sincerely,
Phil
Sincerely,
Phil
