A fundraising event on the Sunshine Coast will bring together the community to support children and families affected by a devastating natural disaster.
The Nepal Glacial Tragedy Relief Fund Gala Dinner will be held at Venue 114, Bokarina, on October 16, featuring a three-course Nepalese buffet, cultural performances and personal stories from people connected to the region.
The cost is $100 per person, with funds raised supporting education and recovery initiatives for children and families whose lives have been disrupted by the disaster.
University of the Sunshine Coast academic Dr Ratna Paudyal is helping lead the fundraiser, supported by the university, Sunshine Coast Council and the Rotary Club of Mooloolaba.
For Dr Paudyal, the effort is deeply personal. He grew up in Nepal’s mountainous Rasuwa District, about 70km north of Kathmandu near the Tibetan border, where relatives, childhood friends and former students still live.
“When I hear the names of affected communities, they are not simply locations on a map,” Dr Paudyal said.
“These are communities where I grew up. These are people I know. This is home.”
The glacial disaster caused widespread destruction, damaging roads, bridges, homes and agricultural land, while leaving communities isolated.
Some areas have been so severely altered that rebuilding may not be possible.
Although Dr Paudyal’s immediate family escaped direct impact, people close to him suffered significant losses.
“A high-school friend lost his brother and son,” he said.
“My sister-in-law lost close family members. I know people who have lost numerous members of their extended families.
“Some of the most painful news for me involved former students I taught as children who later became professionals, including engineers.
“To learn that some of those former students lost their lives is extraordinarily difficult.”
Like stories that inform, connect and celebrate the Sunshine Coast? So do we. Join an independent local news revolution by subscribing to our FREE daily news feed at the bottom of this article.
The fundraising effort will prioritise educational support, including school supplies and resources to help children return to learning while their communities rebuild.
“Education changed my life,” Dr Paudyal said.
“When a child has lost almost everything, education can give them something extraordinarily powerful: hope and a future to believe in.”
He said the response from colleagues, students, Rotarians and local residents had demonstrated the strength of community support.
“Rasuwa gave me my beginnings and the Sunshine Coast has given me another home,” Dr Paudyal said.
“Seeing these two communities come together in a moment of tragedy means more to me than I can express.”
Tickets for the event are available at mrcmembers.org/bookings, with tax-deductible donations also accepted through the Rotary Australia World Community Service website.
“Every ticket matters. Every donation matters. Every person who chooses to stand with this community matters,” Dr Paudyal said.
“Alone, none of us can solve this disaster. Together, we can do something meaningful.”
