By TRECIA TAN SHU HUI
SUBANG JAYA: It was a difficult time for some Nepalese students in Taylor’s University as they watched the place they call home in ruins after two major earthquakes struck the country in the span of two-and-a half weeks.
“I found out about the news on Facebook and I tried calling my family back home immediately but I wasn’t able to get hold of them,” Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management student Sudan Rai said, after the first nerve wracking earthquake with a 7.8 magnitude on 25 April.
The 25-year-old said he was trying to stay positive and he eventually managed to contact his family after over 30 tries.
Sudan was not the only one who went through the ordeal as International Tourism Management major Niteesh Shakya lost contact with his mother for 48 hours following the earthquake.
“I was so scared and I thought about the worst case scenario because every time I checked the news, the death toll kept on rising.
“I had my phone with me the whole time in case she called back,” the 23-year-old said.
When she finally called, she informed him about the horrors of the earthquake which took away the lives of their neighbours.
Niteesh, who had not been home for a year said, “My mom is staying with her cousins now because there are cracks in our house and it’s no longer safe to stay there anymore.”
Despite the relief of knowing his family was safe, Niteesh said he is still worried about the aftershocks following the first quake, and he feels helpless over the situation in Nepal.
“I wanted to go back during the mid-semester break but my mom told me there is no point, and the money for the flight ticket can be used to buy necessities such as food and tents instead,” he said.
International Business major Aanchal Bhandari said she plans on starting a fundraiser on Lakeside Campus with her friends to help the earthquake victims, especially after Nepal was hit by a second earthquake with a 7.4 magnitude on 12 May.
“Our country really needs our help right now and we can’t do anything from here except for this,” the 22-year-old said.
“Many NGOs are only focusing on helping the city while the rural villages are not getting as much help.
“Sarvodaya Nepal is a credible organisation that will directly assist the rural communities that are affected by the earthquake,” Aanchal said.
To support the Sarvodaya Nepal Earthquake and Recovery efforts, visit www.sarvodayausa.org.
“I found out about the news on Facebook and I tried calling my family back home immediately but I wasn’t able to get hold of them,” Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management student Sudan Rai said, after the first nerve wracking earthquake with a 7.8 magnitude on 25 April.
The 25-year-old said he was trying to stay positive and he eventually managed to contact his family after over 30 tries.
Sudan was not the only one who went through the ordeal as International Tourism Management major Niteesh Shakya lost contact with his mother for 48 hours following the earthquake.
“I was so scared and I thought about the worst case scenario because every time I checked the news, the death toll kept on rising.
“I had my phone with me the whole time in case she called back,” the 23-year-old said.
When she finally called, she informed him about the horrors of the earthquake which took away the lives of their neighbours.
Niteesh, who had not been home for a year said, “My mom is staying with her cousins now because there are cracks in our house and it’s no longer safe to stay there anymore.”
Despite the relief of knowing his family was safe, Niteesh said he is still worried about the aftershocks following the first quake, and he feels helpless over the situation in Nepal.
“I wanted to go back during the mid-semester break but my mom told me there is no point, and the money for the flight ticket can be used to buy necessities such as food and tents instead,” he said.
International Business major Aanchal Bhandari said she plans on starting a fundraiser on Lakeside Campus with her friends to help the earthquake victims, especially after Nepal was hit by a second earthquake with a 7.4 magnitude on 12 May.
“Our country really needs our help right now and we can’t do anything from here except for this,” the 22-year-old said.
“Many NGOs are only focusing on helping the city while the rural villages are not getting as much help.
“Sarvodaya Nepal is a credible organisation that will directly assist the rural communities that are affected by the earthquake,” Aanchal said.
To support the Sarvodaya Nepal Earthquake and Recovery efforts, visit www.sarvodayausa.org.