Following the devastating earthquakes in the month of April and May 2015 in Nepal, Mr. Ryam Neupane, the president of Bhutanese Community in Utah (BCU) called an emergency meeting in consultation with BCU Executive Officers and BOD of Directors. The intention of the emergency meeting was to mobilize well-wishers, different organization, agencies, companies, etc. to generate fund and to reach it to the earthquake victims in Nepal through a reliable agency.
The Board meeting subsequently formed a temporary committee for collection and mobilization of Earthquake Relief Fund. The committee of seven individuals included Mr. Ryam Neupane, Mr. Chuda Dulal, Mr. Deo Man Rai, Mr. Rudra Kuikel, Mr. Gyanu Dulal, Mr. Chandra Sapkota and Mr. Puspa Gautam.
Targeting to provide relief to people hit hard by the earthquakes, the BCU mobilized its community members both at organizational and individual levels. The Earthquake Relief Fund committee collected funds from 3 sources – from the BCU community members, the Asian Festival group and Cotton Wood High School. When the Earthquake Relief Fund committee played active role to collect donation from the interested Bhutanese community members, Mr. Chandra Sapkota coordinated with the MESA club, students and teachers of Cotton Wood High School.
The Earthquake Relief Fund initiative managed to collect 1,550.24 USD; 186 USD from Asian Festival, 844.40 from Cotton Wood High School and 519.84 from the Bhutanese Community and its well-wishers.
The board meeting of the BCU held on July 4, 2015 decided to channelize the fund for education of children who lost at least one of their parents during the recent earthquakes in Nepal through the Punya Foundation.
The Punya Foundation is highly grateful to the BCU executives for their decision to partner with the Foundation. The Foundation also thanks the Asian Festival group and Cotton Wood High School for their generous donations to the BCU. This donation is earmarked to support orphan children in Nepal to go to schools.
Special thanks are due to Mr. Chandra Sapkota, Mr. Gyanu Dulal and Mr. Ryam Neupane for providing content of this article.