APHRODITE

When my son Reyn was at Wilfrid Laurier University he travelled to Kathmandu to work in a children’s orphanage for several months. During that time he formed a strong bond with the owner Laxman Shresta and the children. He’s been been back several times over the last decade – and has arranged for other students to follow – one of them from Antigonish. In fact Laxman even came to Canada to speak to the Laurier students about the importance of development work abroad and ventured to our home here.

http://www.lotuschildrenshomenepal.org/

Now of course, we are all filled with concern about the awful disaster in Nepal. Fortunately the children escaped injury but you can imagine the challenges ahead of them.  We have started a small collection here at Aphrodite. The funds will go directly to the home via my son who has been making contributions over the years. We’d be grateful for any donation you could make – even a dollar is good. Every donation will be acknowledged by Laxman and the Lotus Home.

Here is today’s report that Reyn posted on his Facebook page:

An update from Nepal: I spoke to Laxman and his son Alson yesterday evening Nepali time. The situation is still dire but they are holding out alright for now. Ncell, one of the main telecom providers in Nepal, have built a temporary cell tower in the middle of Kathmandu so that there is some intermittent service in some areas. However, batteries are draining given the lack of electricity, so I am not sure how much longer we will be able to communicate directly.

The Lotus Children’s Home, like many others in Nepal were outside overnight for the third night in a row in fear of aftershocks. They still haven’t been inside the home for fear of collapse but Laxman was able to get some plastic covering yesterday to build a makeshift shelter against the rain. While the status of the Lotus Home building is still unknown, the worst of the earthquake seems to be over, although the danger is still present given the weak build-quality and subsequent aftershocks could lead to collapse at any time. For those of you familiar with similar earthquakes in Haiti and Kashmir, one of the most pressing problems will be sanitation. As Kathmandu never had a fully functioning running water system to begin with, the need for fresh and clean water will be critical.

The immediate needs of the people of Nepal will soon give way to the long-term rebuilding efforts. The city and country is absolutely devastated; I can not understate this enough. There are still many regions and villages that have not made contact with the outside world since the quake happened on Saturday afternoon so the extent of the damage is still unknown but it is not looking good. I appeal to my friends and family who can help to send any funds to help in the crisis.

You can donate to the Lotus Home by contacting me or by directly sending money to their PayPal account at laxman_stha@hotmail.com and sending as family/friends option.

If you are interested to donate to the direct relief efforts in Nepal, I recommend donating to the Red Cross. There is always the question of corruption, but I can assure you that donating to the Red Cross will ensure that your money will be used by an effective relief organization and not squandered in the pockets of corrupt individuals. You can donate to the Red Cross by going to their website here linked below.

Any small measure of help can make a big difference!