As many know, LIRNEasia is engaged with Nepal. We work with the Internet Society of Nepal and have long-standing good relations with the Nepal Telecom Authority. Late March we were in Nagarkot, about an hour away from Kathmandu and quite close to now devastated Bakhtapur.
As a knowledge-based organization with ten plus years of experience in disaster risk reduction work, our first reaction was knowledge based. But we seldom stop there. We are assessing the capacity of different Nepali organizations to channel financial contributions to rural areas that were hard hit by the earthquake and are less likely to receive the attention that the urban centers will receive. Our own staff will be making personal contributions that will be matched by LIRNEasia and the aggregate contribution will be sent to the chosen Nepali organization or organizations. We are also coordinating with Sarvodaya, our local partner in disaster related work, to see if Sarvodaya Nepal can play a role.
Things are rough in Kathmandu and we cannot rush our local partners. We ask our friends to earmark contributions that we will ensure will be carefully and prudently spent by Nepali organizations as part of Nepal’s rebuilding effort.
1 Comment
Alison Gillwald
Let us know when plans are in place Rohan and what can be done by sister networks.