“Kumari people are in big difficult situation and all your supports and help will big relief at this moment.”
Those words are from Jagat Lama of Kumari, Nepal, a village assisted in the past two years by Hood River residents.
Kumari suffered heavy damage in last week’s devastating earthquake to the Himalayan nation. From one of its young leaders comes a message of despair, mixed with hope, from inside a nation that has seen 7-10,000 people killed and thousands more displaced in the capital of Katmandu as well as remote villages that have been extensively damaged or wiped out.
Jagat, who founded the school and clinic in Kumari, contacted Jim Haun and Peter Marbach of Hood River this week. (Hood River News profiled visits by Marbach in 2013 and by Haun and Dr. James Pennington in 2014: ‘Two Jims’ continue Hood River-Nepal connection and early 2015: Travelogue part two: Making friends in Kumari, Nepal.)
Peter Marbach said the best way to help is to donate to Health and Education 4 Nepal. through this link: www.healthanded4n....
“This is Jagat’s main non-profit partner in the U.S. This will ensure ever dollar goes directly to relief efforts in Kumari,” Marbach said.
“Compassion needs to be matched with action. There is an overwhelming immediate need for supplies of food, water and temporary shelter.”
Notes Haun, “For me, as I think would be the case for many others, it makes it feel all the more real. The list of supplies is absolutely necessary, but hearing how Jagat is feeling, his fear and desperation at the most intimate level, really beings it home.
“It’s not just another disaster in another faraway place. It part of an ongoing relationship between Kumari and Hood River,” Haun said.
Marbach said, “It’s such a kick in the gut for those of us who have been there and experienced the warmth and gentle nature of the people of Kumari.
“In the best of times they were living on the margins of existence but there was a peaceful rhythm to life. Now there is so much fear and uncertainty.”
Jagat wrote:
“Our Kumari road is blocked at this moment and we cannot drive to Kumari. We have option to walk and hiking 3-4 hours from the highway. We can supply all supplies nearby Kumari and all needy people will come to pick it up from village. We will monitor all records and collect numbers of victims from Kumari.
“Recently, we need about 5,000 sleeping tents, blankets about 10,000, medicines and foods. Foods are Dal (lentil), rice, salt, sugar, and kerosene, etc. These all we can buy here in Nepal and just need funds to get it.
“More emergency supplies for the injured and some social supports and counselling to the children and people. Children and women are the really fearful and whole days they are on to the hill and (won’t go) home because scaring from the destroyed buildings and houses. I am thinking all the times about my Kumari and clinic building, my 85 year-old Mom, also my home where I was born 43 years ago.
“It has been really hard life here and we don’t have net services, telephones and not able to communicates with anybody. Our all banks and offices are closed and we can’t check yet. I will try tomorrow once if they are open. Thanks brother for your thought and recently, we are not getting any supports from anybody. I hope, if this money been collected into bank then will see because, in Kumari we have really big trouble to save our (supplies) from the clinic building and have to buy as soon as tents, plastics and shelters for (families).
“Our situation is much critical and hard to live safe. Diseases everywhere because of dead bodies around. I am really worrying because, my 12 years young son and wife is in Kathmandu on the road tent and the rest of (supplies) with us. Our Kathmandu house is all damaged and very fearful to spend nights. Namaste …”
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