High Tea for Nepal fundraiser

 

Students from Whangarei to Dunedin travelled to Nepal earlier this year to see for themselves the impact that the 2015 earthquake has had for the people of Kathmandu. As youth advocates for the Leprosy Mission, they are keen to share their experience with others at a Mangawhai High Tea for Nepal to be held in Mangawhai on July 10.

In Nepal the youth advocates stayed at the Leprosy Mission’s Anandaban Hospital. In the first earthquake parts of the hospital were severely damaged. Tarpaulins provided shelter and staff continued delivering non-stop emergency medical assistance to hundreds of injured people who turned to the hospital for help.

Since then, not only has it continued its work with leprosy-affected people, it has also provided surgery to the injured, distributed emergency food and other supplies, and supported those traumatised, with counselling.

The youth advocates have chosen to fundraise for a 4WD vehicle as they could see that reaching the most vulnerable communities in Kathmandu.

“Travel was interesting,” says Hanneke Meyer, a physiotherapy student from Whangarei. “Roads that are already challenging to negotiate became a barrier to the delivery of vital services. Another 4WD vehicle will help transport staff, medical supplies and equipment between the hospital and their outreach community projects.”

Agrani Ratnayake, studying medicine at University Auckland says, “Despite having leprosy and living with the aftermath of the earthquakes, the people we met are the loveliest, most humble and strongest people you can imagine.”

Join the youth advocates at their Mangawhai High Tea for Nepal to hear more about the Nepalese people they met and the positive impact New Zealand support makes for their future.

Leprosy Mission New Zealand is a Christian development aid organisation serving the needs of people in some of the poorest regions of the world.

n Give online at givealittle.co.nz/cause/youthadvocates2016. Txt ‘Yes, I am Interested’ to 021 537 356 if you are a student interested in a Youth Advocate Scholarship to Nepal in 2017.