Candlelight vigil for Nepalese earthquake victims/survivors set April 28; ISU Student Nepalese Student Association raising awareness, funds

To help raise awareness of the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal this weekend a candlelight vigil organized by the Idaho State University Nepalese Student Association will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, on the ISU Hutchinson Quadrangle.

The vigil will begin near the bronze Bengal statue near the Pond Student Union.

Nepal, the home country of more than 50 ISU students, experienced a magnitude-7.8 earthquake on April 25. The earthquake devastated several regions of Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley region, leveling buildings and killing more than 2,500 with the death toll continuing to rise.

“Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with many building made of brick and mortar with minimal reinforcement,” said ISU Nepalese student Deepesh Poudel. “As such, our families back home are very vulnerable to the devastation and the diseases that have started to spread after the earthquakes.”

The Nepalese Student Association will collect monetary donations and have information available where people can donate to several charities’ efforts for earthquake relief in Nepal at the vigil and at tables setup in the ISU Pond Student Union and Rendezvous Complex from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

The Nepalese Student Association has a student account with the ISU Foundation where donations can be made toward the Nepal earthquake recovery effort. People can donate via a check made out to the ISU Foundation with Nepal in the memo, sending it to ISU Foundation, 921 S. Eighth Ave., Stop 8050, Pocatello, Idaho, 83209-8050, or online at www.isu.edu/gift.

The association has joined in with the JRM Foundation for Humanity and Idaho’s Hometown Hero to help coordinate with local volunteers in Nepal to provide medical and other relied assistance to the affected people. Dr. Fahim Rahim, chairman of the JRM Foundation, is flying to Nepal with his team to provide assistance. Donors can help fund JRM Foundation efforts by going to https://www.crowdrise.com/NepalEarthquakes2015.

People can also donate to any of their favorite charities:

• American Red Cross Nepal Earthquake Relief: https://www.redcross.org/combined-donate?donationProdId=prod9150029&retrieveData=1&flow=oc1

• Global Giving’s Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/nepal-earthquake-relief-fund/

• CARE’s relief efforts in Nepal: http://bit.ly/1DMEkYy

• OxFam America’s Nepal Earthquake Fund: https://secure2.oxfamamerica.org/page/content/nepal_earthquake/

• UNICEF’s Fund for Nepal Earthquake: https://www.unicefusa.org/donate/nepal-earthquake-help-children-now/24226?ms=ref_dig_2015_web_story_20150425_introbutton

If you have any questions about the relief efforts or how the Nepalese Students at ISU are contributing, please contact Poudel at (801)803-8725, or Rajesh Jayasawal at (208)851-1474.