Local sisters generating funds

 

Ruth and Eve Whitley have both travelled to Nepal as Youth Advocates to experience the work of the Leprosy Mission and are committed to raising funds for a generator to supply the Mission’s hospital in Kathmandu with reliable and consistent electricity. 

They have seen the hospital stretched to meet the needs of the community before the earthquake and since the devastation in April there is an increased demand for hospital services attending to crush injuries and emergency response. 

After travelling to Nepal last year, Ruth hosted a fundraising High Tea in Mangawhai with the help of her twin sister, Eve. The funds raised went towards funding a transit bus for the hospital which has been invaluable in reaching people in rural areas since the earthquake. 

Their excellent baking skills and fine china will again be evident for this year’s High Tea at Christ the King Church on the afternoon of Sunday July 12 to support the generator fundraising goal of $25,000. 

When not studying at AUT in Auckland, the girls enjoy spending time in Mangawhai and appreciate the contrast between their lives in New Zealand and the people they have met in Nepal. They said they no longer take for granted clean running water and electricity or the opportunity for education and work.

Eve travelled to Nepal in January this year. 

“Electricity is ad hoc in Nepal and having a reliable and efficient electricity supply is vital to maximising the effectiveness of the hospital,” she said. 

The hospital cares for both leprosy and general patients as the only medical facility in that part of Kathmandu. An integrated approach reduces the stigma for people affected by leprosy. Although hospital buildings were damaged in the earthquake, staff have been able to continue treating patients at the hospital and assessing emergency needs in the community. 

n Support their fundraising through the Youth Advocates’ givealittle page: givealittle.co.nz/cause/youthadvocates2015/donations



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High Tea details

* Sunday July 12 at 3pm

* Christ The King Church, Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai

* Tickets $20 each

* All proceeds to the generator fund * Tickets at carnalea@xtra.co.nz or phone Gillian at Leprosy Mission NZ on 0800 86283.







TEA LADIES: Ruth and Eve Whitley have both visited Nepal as Youth Advocates.



DEMAND: The transit bus in action at Anandaban Leprosy Hospital, thanks to last year’s fundraising.