While many Tibetan organizations, monasteries, nunneries, and individuals inside Nepal are busy delivering relief materials, and helping the sick and maimed in the earthquake affected areas, those outside Nepal are also involved in organizing various fund raising events, prayers services, and collecting relief materials for them.
In this report, VOA Tibetan's Kunsang Rinzin discusses a few earthquake specific solidarity activities that are happening simultaneously in different parts of the United States, spearheaded by local Tibetan NGOs and organizations.
California based Acha-Himalayan Sisterhood is organizing a massive fund raising event as a relief effort for the quake victims in Nepal. In close coordination with some grassroot NGOs that have years of working experience in Nepal, Acha is raising funds to support the relief, recovery, and rebuilding of the earthquake victims and survivors in Nepal. It plans to help Nepal's relief and recovery efforts through three pronged strategies.
Dechen Tsering who is the co-founder of Acha says that so far, they were able to raise more than ten thousand dollars and that it plans to raise more as the task of rebuilding Nepal is going to be a long and arduous journey. She further tells VOA that one of its team members has already reached one of the hardest hit areas in Nepal and is guiding the affected people in the area.
Four major Tibetan organizations in New York city are jointly organizing a variety of solidarity activities for Nepal like fund raising drive for the quake victims, prayer gathering and vigils. Mr. Thinley Kalsang , Vice President of the Tibetan Community of NY & NJ, tells VOA that the four organizations have been doing daily fund raising in NY and the public support has been tremendous. He added that so far, they were able to raise around 18 thousand dollars for the Nepal relief efforts.
The four oganizations that are jointly coordinating the relief efforts in New York are Tibetan Community of NY & NJ, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Regional Women's Association, and Chusi Gangdruk Assoc.
As per the guidelines provided by the Tibetan Youth Congress head office, San Francisco branch of RTYC was able to collect more than six thousand dollars in the first few days following the deadly earthquake. "Seeing the urgency of the situation, we have started collecting funds for Nepal relief work immediately after the earthquake and have sent over six thousand dollars to the TYC head office. We will continue with our effort to collect donations for the victims", said Tenzin Tsephel, the current President of RTYC SF.