Princetonians from Nepal Lead Fundraising for Victims of Earthquakes

F

Thapa, fellow Wilson School graduate student Unika Shrestha, and a handful of other Nepalis at the University have tried to turn that initial helplessness into something helpful. They’ve joined with other students and staff members to begin raising funds through the Facebook page Rebuilding Nepal: The Princeton Community Relief Effort and a related Indiegogo project. So far, the group has raised more than $8,600, with most donations ranging from $10 to $50. The contributions will be sent to CARE Nepal and Savodaya (Teach for Nepal). Rebuilding Nepal has staffed fundraising tables at Lawnparties and the Frist Campus Center and plans to collect donations at Reunions later this month. On Thursday at 8 p.m., 16 campus musical groups will perform at a benefit concert on the Frist South Lawn. The need for aid is urgent, Thapa said, with shelter in short supply and the monsoon season set to arrive in about a month. In the longer term, the public policy student sees a potential silver lining as Nepal’s younger generation appears to be taking a key role in the rebuilding process, coordinating with NGOs and international relief groups. But for all Nepalis, he said, “There are great challenges that lie ahead.”