Supporting Nepal after the Earthquake

Like so many people, I was shocked by the devastation in Nepal following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25. I had been in Nepal only 3 weeks before, and spent the first day seeking information on friends and colleagues back in Nepal. Fortunately everyone I knew was ok, though most slept, or attempted to sleep, outdoors for several days for fear of aftershocks.

Pokhara church groups bagging rice

In the week that has followed, I have watched as friends and organizations I know mobilize to the support the relief effort. International Nepal Fellowship (INF), the organization I worked with when I lived in Pokhara, helped send some of the first relief teams into the remote villages affected by the earthquake. My friend Puskpak (pictured right) has been working long hours in the Kathmandu hospitals and relief centres as part of the Handicap International Team. Everyone has been packing relief supplies for the people in the villages who have lost everything (right).  It has been heartening to see the response from within the community, as well as the massive international relief efforts.

The hospitals I have worked at are also all fine, and have been receiving the first wave of injured. They are gearing up to support the large number of people with new disabilities from the earthquake. This is what is happening at each of them, and links to support them if you are interested. Note that the Canadian government will match donations for disaster relief in Nepal until May 25, 2015.

Green Pastures Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in Pokhara is part of INF.  INF has been working in Nepal for over 60 years, and will continue its focus on rehabilitation for people with disabilities and ongoing community development. GPHRC just opened new spinal rehab wards, which are already being used for patients flown in from remote villages. INF is also providing regular updates on how you can pray for Nepal.

The Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) is located on the outskirts of Kathmandu in a wonderful facility. There are an estimated 400 new spinal cord injuries due to the earthquake, and  many will get rehabilitation at SIRC. You can also donate to SIRC via SpiNepal a group affiliated with UBC Department of Orthopaedics, who in addition to financial support, have been providing skype consults and coaching to the doctors in Nepal as they respond to the many patient needs.

United Mission Hospital Tansen, where we did 2 weeks of training most recently, was not directly affected by the earthquake, but is also gearing up to receive patients from the remote rural areas. They have sent physicians out into the remote villages to do emergency medical aid, and have sent a group of surgeons to provide support in Kathmandu. There is no Canadian donor site, but you can support them via the United Mission to Nepal website.

I have sent out a Newsletter with more updates on what we did on our most recent trip to Nepal. You can download it here.  Our work was also highlighted on Toronto Rehab – UHN’s website.

If you are in Toronto, I will be giving a talk about my recent trip and updates on the relief efforts in Nepal on May 21 at 7pm at my church. It would be great if you can join us.

I had got a start on organizing photos from the trip and was planning on putting up a newsy post the weekend the earthquake hit. I will post more photos as I can, but for now following relief efforts and figuring out how I can support Nepal after the earthquake is taking priority.  Here are the links to the completed photo albums, in chronological order:

• Day hike down to Ranighat, a historic riverside palace
• Leveraged Freedom Wheelchairs
• Home visits around Tansen
• Visit to Almaty, Kazakhstan
• Visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan