Liverpool Fundraising Dinner: 12 February

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Health Exchange Nepal (HExN) is holding its first fundraising dinner of 2017 in Liverpool, on Sunday 12 February.

Starting at 3pm, the event will include culture activities including dancing/singing and a buffet of Nepalese/Indian food, plus raffles and an auction.

Tickets for this fun, informal event are £25, with all profits going directly to HExN to help its work of providing clinical and educational support in Nepal, improving the lives of thousands of people each year.

The earthquakes which hit Nepal in 2015 have had a long-lasting effect beyond the loss of lives and permanent injuries caused to so many. Tourism, a vital source of income for Nepal, has dipped sharply.

The fundraising dinner, at the New Derry Social Club in Everton, will also include a short update on progress in Nepal. The event is supported by the Nepalese Community in Liverpool Group.

Tickets are by donation of £25 minimum – please book these via this link so that HExN can benefit from gift aid - https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/liverpool. The page includes a full programme and location details.

While we already have some raffle prizes, you are still encouraged to bring gifts, prizes, liquors, wine etc for the auction & raffle on the day. These would be very much appreciated. 

We look forward to seeing you in Liverpool at our charity fundraiser. Parking is available at the site (Post code L5 0QW),

Supporting the Parents Care Home in Nepal

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Health Exchange Nepal is delighted to approve a fund to support the operation and management of Parents Care Home in Kathmandu.

The Parents Care Home is a non-governmental organisation that has provided a home for 10-15 vulnerable elderly and disabled people for the last five years.

The fund of £2500.00 will be used for day to day operation of the care home including the provision of food, clothes, health care and other general activities.

To find out more about Parents Care Home, visit the Facebook page. 

HExN Charity Lunch in Support of Earthquake Victims

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Sunday 25 September: 1.30 - 4.00pm at Khushi Indian Buffet Restaurant, Middlesbrough

An invite from Dr. Anil Tuladhar:

We, as local members of Health Exchange Nepal (HExN) UK, would like to invite you all for the fundraising Charity Lunch event to support "Nepal Earthquake victims relief, rehabilitation and training" at Khushi Restaurant, Middlesbrough on 25 September 2016. 

HExN (UK) has been instrumental in providing immediate relief, providing shelters, rebuilding schools, and restoring water supplies to the areas affected by the 2015 Nepal earthquake. We are slowly moving towards rehabilitation by training the health professionals, and we also have been regularly running Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons endorsed courses and workshops to train local health professionals.

Please make this a grand event by supporting us for this just cause.

To book your place at the lunch, please email Anil Tuladhar at draniltuladhar@gmail.com by 15 September 2016.  

Support us in helping improve the health and well-being of the people of Nepal by donating now. 

Sandesh and Bhagteshwar's ABC Challenge - Days Three & Four

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Day 3 - Chhomrong to Dovan

Day 3 started decidedly colder than the other days. The altitude meant that the ambient temperature was colder. This day was easily the hardest of the trek starting with a decent of approximately 300m then a big ascent of approximately 400m towards Sinwa followed by a slow ascent to Dovan.

We faced a warm morning, a very hot midday, a rainy afternoon and heavy hail when we finally arrived at Dovan 8 hours after leaving Chomrong. I was really feeling the heavy pack at this point and made the difficult decision to leave a few things at Dovan before continuing up towards ABC.

I had found days 2 and 3 so difficult that I was concerned I would not be able to make ABC as the air gets thinner. Leaving clothes, some spare batteries and my sleeping bag, I managed to lighten my bag by about 3kg and decided that I would use the blankets provided by the lodges further up the trail.

Although our net gain for the day was less than 500m, due to the many ups and downs my Garmin watch estimated that he climbed about 1150m overall, higher than the height of Snowdon.

Distance: 12.7km, Net ascent: 430m

Day 4 - Chhomrong to MBC

Since I was small I had known the name of Machapuchre, meaning fish tail. However I never full understood why it was referred to as a fish tail as every photo I had seen showed the mountain from Pokhara where it always looked like a triangle or pyramid.

However Day 4 started with a view of Machapuchre that made me finally understand where it got its name. While the net ascent for the day was a lot more than for the previous day the lighter bag and steady ascent rather than big ascents and decents from the previous days meant the day went a lot smoother.

We went through a hazardous avalanche area. We realised the danger of this not just from the avalanche sign but also by our guide, Kumar’s change in demeanor, he was visibly more tense than he had been on the previous days. We also went past an area where we saw lots of small rock piles. Kumar told us that these were for good luck and added to by travellers on their way up to ABC. Only on the way back 2 days later when we passed the same spot did Kumar tell us that these were remembrance shrines to those that had lost their lives to avalanches in this area!

As we neared Machapuchre Base Camp (MBC) we encountered snow for the first time. The weather closed in as we arrived in MBC and we managed to get in and warm just before a storm that brought with it winds and snow.

Distance: 12.4 km, Net ascent: 1100m

 

Sandesh and Bhagteshwar take on the ABC Challenge - Pre Trek

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On 12 March 2016, HExN committee member Sandesh Acharya and his friend Bhagteshwar reached Annapurna Base Camp (4130m), raising a fantastic amount of money for the charity in the process.

Not only did they take on the challenge of carrying the backpack (about 13-15 kg) themselves without a porter, but they also completed the trek in nine days; a feat normally achieved in twelve days with a porter!

Sandesh documented his progress every day of the trek and we are delighted that he has shared his experiences with us in this series of inspiring blog posts.

And so the story begins...

Following four months of training at various peaks in the UK, it was finally time to embark on the trek to Annapurna Base Camp.

Prior to leaving the UK, I did a final check of my kit and decided to weigh what I would be carrying for nine days of trekking in the Himalayas. The total weight of 16.2 kg (18.2 kg including two litres of water) was a few kilos more than what I was hoping to take (and what I had trained with), but I decided that everything was absolutely necessary. Being a medic, I probably did take more first aid and medications than I needed!

After arriving in Kathmandu with my friend Bhagteshwar Singh at 6pm, we met our guide Kumar, and left for Pokhara the following morning at 5am. Needless to say, our body clocks were a bit frazzled. After a seven hour bus ride, we arrived in Pokhara and opted for an early night… but only after a final pre trek meal of momo.

Doctors thank Aintree colleagues for support in £100,000 fundraising campaign as Nepal marks a year on from the earthquake

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Leading doctors have presented Aintree University Hospital with a thank you plaque to mark support for our fundraising appeal to provide earthquake disaster and recovery support in Nepal.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Himalayan country on 25 April 2015, killing 9,000 people and injuring more than 23,000.

Dr Shambhu Acharya, HExN committee member, said:

“Many clinicians at Aintree University Hospital supported us with donations, fundraising and offers of help. Initially we supplied immediate disaster relief, such as survival kits and shelters. More funds were used to rebuild schools and supply hospitals, and assist local Nepalese charities. A year on from the earthquake, we are now helping develop the Nepalese medical services over a longer term, including supporting more rehabilitation services, which are very limited.”

Surgeons from Aintree University Hospital took part in fundraising challenges which saw them go barefoot, and doctors, nurses and allied health professionals made donations at a special presentation event.

Steve Warburton, Chief Executive of Aintree University Hospital, who also took part in the fundraising challenge, said:

“Staff at Aintree really rallied round, and we are honoured to receive this recognition from Health Exchange Nepal. It really brings things home to you, when you hear of how donations of even a few pounds made such a difference to people in Nepal.”

A year on from the earthquakes, an estimated three million people (600,000 households) in Nepal are still without permanent shelter, so your donations to the earthquake appeal are more important than ever before. To donate, please visit http://www.hexn.org/earthquake-appeal/. 

Hoorah for Harry in the Himalayas

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It takes a lot for TV crews and photographer to return to a past disaster once it has slipped from the front pages.

       IMAGE BY: European Pressphoto Agency

So with the anniversary of the devastating earthquakes, which killed thousands of people and changed many more lives forever with long-term injuries approaching, it was perfect timing for the UK’s Prince Harry to undertake an awareness raising trip to the country. His visit was to both mark 200 years of formal diplomatic relations between the UK and Nepal, and also to highlight the progress in recovering from the earthquakes.

Like many of our HExN teams, Prince Harry spent time in both Kathmandu and remote villages, reminding millions of people internationally about how widespread the impact was.

Nepali hospitality shines through

The Kensington Palace media team have an international reputation, and the photo-opportunities were superb, from Prince Harry sleeping in local houses, to being named honorary head of a village, daubed in red paint as part of celebrations for Holi and playing volleyball, a sport very popular in village areas where clear, level ground is often at a premium.

The hospitality, generosity and remarkable fortitude of Nepal’s people shone through in every photo, and clearly impacted on the prince, who had served alongside Gurkhas when he was deployed in Afghanistan.

Prince Harry’s message, covered by UK and international media, was clear:

“I pay my respects to those who perished and hope to do what I can to shine a spotlight on the resilience of the Nepali people."

Tourism is key to Nepal's recovery

However, Prince Harry’s trip was not purely about reflecting the impact of the earthquakes, and the country’s work to recover.

Patan Durbar Square after the earthquakes

He sent out a strong message about the value and role of tourism, visiting artisans and apprentices working to restore the royal palace at Patan Durbar Square, which was heavily damaged by the quake. The prince held talks with Nepal's first female president, Bidya Devi Bhandari, when both recovery and tourism were on the agenda.

Talking to tourists during one of his walkabouts, Prince Harry said to one family:

“Well done, it's so, so important to encourage people to come back. Why wouldn't you come back here? It's beautiful."

The Prince’s words have a resonance to all of us who are privileged to have visited Nepal. Like Prince Harry, the country has found a place in our hearts. And we are not alone.

The UK has been one of the largest bilateral donors to Nepal, with a total commitment of £70 million in earthquake relief, according to figures released by the Department for International Development.

The warmth which the British hold for Nepal was seen by the amazing response to HExN’s own #NoSocksRocks appeal, which raised £100,000 against an initial target of just £10,000.

The prince’s visit painted a picture of a country recovering from a natural disaster of almost unimaginable scale. With trekking once again beginning to pick up in Nepal and work on the rebuilding of the historic buildings continuing, the role which visitors can play in assisting the nation to progress was perfectly illustrated by this very special Royal visit.