May 7, 2015

How you can help Nepal after the earthquake 

BY LION’S ROAR STAFF | APRIL 27, 2015

Photo by United Nations Development Program.
Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley and the outlying region have been devastated by a massive earthquake. The last comparable earthquake to hit Nepal was in 1934, registering 8.0 on the Richter scale and killing 10,000. The death toll is somewhat smaller in this case (at 6,000 as of Friday, May 1, but quite possibly approaching 10,000), but the need for help is of course of the utmost. Organizations and groups around the world are mobilizing now to pitch in. Here are some of them, with links.

Charitable relief funds

AmeriCares has announced that its emergency response team “is en route to Nepal and we are prepared to help any way that we can,” noting that “we leverage every dollar donated into twenty dollars of aid.”

Bodhivastu is “a non-profit org led by Lama Rangbar, a student of HH Chatral Rinpoche and Dudjom Rinpoche. We already have a ground crew mobilzed and providing relief, focusing on the remote ares of Sankhu and Yomo, since Lama lived in Nepal for 20 years and still has staff there and we work through the Himalayan Light Foundation locally in Nepal. Lama has established his own center in Sankhu as an emergency relief shelter for the upper villagers. We are providing tents, sending food and medical supplies. To donate, please go to our website, call 845.226.6663 or email info@bodhivastu.org. Thank you for any help you can provide!”

Direct Relief writes of its efforts that the organization “will be coordinating with the following local and emergency response partners in the hours and days ahead,” and “has delivered over $1,000,000 worth of medicines and supplies to its charitable healthcare provider partners in Nepal.”

Facebook announced on April 27th it “will match your donation up to $2 million to contribute to local relief organizations. 100% of your donation will go to International Medical Corps and their work in response to the Nepal earthquake.”

The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) has created a Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, “to provide for the immediate and long-term needs of Kopan Monastery and Nunnery and other local FPMT centers resulting from the devastation caused by the Nepal earthquake. […] In addition, the fund will be used to offer immediate relief and support to other areas in the Himalayan region such as the village of Thame (Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birthplace) where there has been an incredible amount of destruction. If sufficient funds are raised, grants may also be provided to other carefully vetted organizations providing earthquake relief efforts.”

GlobalGiving.org says donations “will support earthquake recovery and relief efforts in Nepal. Initially, the fund will help first responders meet survivors’ immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter. Once initial relief work is complete, this fund will transition to support longer-term recovery efforts run by local, vetted local organizations.”
Via Grand Circle Foundation: “Grand Circle Foundation has pledged to match up to $50,000 of your donations when you give by Monday, May 4. We’ve chosen to contribute to the American Red Cross—a leading humanitarian organization with the worldwide clout and experience to truly make a difference.”

Karuna Shechen, founded by Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard in 2000, provides health care, education, and social services for the under-served people of India, Nepal, and Tibet. Click here to donate to Karanua Shechen’s earthquake-relief efforts.

The Marpa Foundation, established in 1994 under the spiritual direction of Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, writes: “everyone in the Tek Chok Ling community is safe, but its buildings sustained damage. We are still assessing the extent of the damage but we know that the nunnery and its guesthouse will need to be repaired, the Yolmo retreat facility needs to be rebuilt, and there will be many other earthquake-related expenses. To help Tek Chok Ling and its community repair, rebuild, and rejuvenate, please consider donating to this special fund.

Oxfam International: “We are preparing to supply clean water and hygiene equipment to thousands of people in Nepal following a devastating earthquake. Your help now will help us to save lives.”

Save The Children’s Nepal Earthquake Children’s Relief Fund will help the organization “protect vulnerable children and provide desperately needed relief to families. Ten percent of your contribution will be used to help us prepare for the next emergency.”
Seva has created a Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund, noting that “that 100% of every gift will go to support the victims of this devastating earthquake.”

Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche has also announced the creation of a relief fund, writing, “The immediate concern is of course first aid relief, however, after an earthquake there are not only the immediate needs of those injured, there are also concerns of food, water, shelter and months of re-construction. […] Any help at all will greatly benefit the cause. Donations can be made here via PayPal.”
Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche on Monday wrote to followers, asking them to consider making a donation toShedrub Development Fund, toward “rescue efforts, rebuilding homes, and assisting those in need. This is our recommended fund for all donations to help repair the monastery and nunnery and provide wider assistance in Nepal. We will take full responsibility for ensuring that the funds donated reach those in greatest need.”

The Tibet Fund “has established an Emergency Earthquake Relief Fund and is working with credible and reliable partners in Nepal, such as the Snow Lion Foundation and The Himalayan Society for Youth and Women Empowerment (HSYWE) to ensure that resources reach those most affected by the quake. These organizations are bringing urgently needed supplies and assistance to survivors and coordinating long-term efforts to rebuild communities. Even a small contribution will make a huge difference in the lives of those who have been tragically affected by the natural disaster.”

Unicef: “Children in Nepal need your help. Please donate what you can today.” In Canada, anydonations to Unicef will be matched by the Canadian government and corporate sponsors, tripling the impact of every contribution.

Upaya Zen Center has created a Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund and “will allocate it to a NGO in the area that we have relationships with and whose good work we can verify. […]  We will choose organizations led by individuals with whom we have ongoing and productive relationships. We will make periodic reports back to all who make a donation.”

The Karmapa Service Society is inviting donations at their office in Elmhurst, NY (40-08 76th Street, Elmhurst, NY, 11373, phone: 718-747-4507 / 646-671-0041). All donations will be directed to the organization’s branch in Nepal, which is directly involved in rescue operations.