On April 25, 2015 a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal. The quake occurred about 80km from the Kathmandu and its effects were devastating in the capital city. Collapsed buildings, broken roadways, and no news from the villages closer to the epicenter.
We reached out to our friends in Kathmandu, and didn’t hear anything as services were disrupted.
Videos and pictures of the devastation trickled in, and we were shocked at the destruction. We watched the drone footage taken: toppled buildings, ancient building reduced to rubble, and people wandering the streets concerned to go back inside their homes for fear of aftershocks.
Two days later we heard back from our friends in Nepal. Fortunately, they were okay. Things were difficult, but they were working on trying to get things back to normal.
But for many, they were not so lucky.
About 15 days after the earthquake we received an email from our friends that things were getting better for them, when just a few hours later we received word from them that a large aftershock 7.3 had hit.
Thankfully, our friends were okay, but there are many that are in dire need.
High winds and thundershowers compounds lives under tent http://t.co/gQmjLE77RO pic.twitter.com/FVlwV7umO4
— The Kathmandu Post (@kathmandupost) May 24, 2015
Please consider donating to your favorite international aid organization to get aid to Nepal. American Red Cross Nepal Relief International Red Cross Nepal Relief The earthquake has killed more than 8,000 people and injured more than 19,000 with hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes.
Shamiela cooks for neighbours in her ruined home. #NepalEarthquake survivors are showing extraordinary resilience pic.twitter.com/6ewHH4vQIE — UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) May 18, 2015
The people of Nepal are resilient and kind, the process of rebuilding will be long and hard. There are many aid organizations helping in the relief effort such as the Red Cross. If each of us gives, even if it is just a little, we can help things return to normal.
Namaste. “I bow to the divine in you.”
Image credit: Road damage in Nepal taken by Krish Dulal Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0