For people in Nepal, the earthquake that hit the country on Saturday was devastating. But for some Nepalis who are outside of the country, waiting to hear from their family was equally stressful. But some have found a way to turn their concerns into substantial relief for their home.
Tripti Giri is a Nepali student at Westminster College. She said she called her family in the capital city Kathmandu at 1:30 a.m., immediately after she heard the breaking news. The phone call went through at around 2:30 a.m. Her family members were safe and sound, even though they had to sleep in tents after the buildings collapsed.
Giri said some students were not able to hear from their family until more than 10 hours after the news broke out.
“So we waited all day, very scared, and we were just trying to know if they are fine, if they were even safe, where they were and everything,” Giri said.
Most students got to know their family members are safe. But Devi States is still waiting to hear back from his brother and two sisters. States is the owner of Everest Café & Bar in Jefferson City. He founded the Himalaya Family Health Care Project in 2009. The group is now fundraising for the disaster-stricken areas.
“We have a team working in Nepal already, and one of our board members and a doctor were dispatched to Nepal. I may go to Nepal next week too,” he said.
At Lincoln University, some Nepali students have put up donations boxes. They are working with BlueTigers fundraising to raise money for relief work in Nepal.
Nepalese students Manjil Khanal said that they have 15 Nepali in their community in Jefferson City. And even though they come from different walks of life, “we are all united for this fundraising campaign. We are coordinated,” Khanal said.
Back at Westminster College, Giri and other students started a relief fund campaign on GoFundMe.com. So far, they have raised more than three thousand dollars. Giri said they are thankful for all the help they received from the local communities.
