Fund-raising efforts continue for quake victims
EFFORTS to raise more funds to support the construction of eco-housing in the parts of Nepal most severely affected by last year’s devastating earthquake are on the way, along with a remembrance ceremony in Bangkok, the chairman of the Non Resident Nepali
During a joint press conference with the Embassy of Nepal, Khagendra Raj Dhakal said the expected budget stood at around 350 million Indian rupees (Bt183 million), and the NRNA had so far gathered around 90 per cent of this sum to complete its house-building project, which had been authorised by the Nepalese government.
The association also expects to donate collected money to the Nepalese government for the life enhancement of children suffering from family loss and lost access to proper education, he added.
This will be carried out at the upcoming “Nepal Festival and Earthquake Memorial”, an anniversary remembrance event for the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal.
To be held from April 21-25 at CentralWorld Bangkok, the event aims to promote bilateral tourism, trade and cultural understanding between Nepal and Thailand through showcases, exhibitions, celebrity performances, and business-networking events, the Nepalese ambassador to Thailand, Khaga Nath Adhikari said.
The event will also be a reminder of the help and donations from Thailand, including those from |the Thai Royal Family and the |Thai government, towards Nepalese victims of the earthquake on April 25 last year, the ambassador said.
There will also be a candle-lighting ceremony in front of CentralWorld during the event to express remembrance of the tragic incident, he added.
Gradually recovering from the disaster, Nepal expects to regain |its position as a culture-rich destination for worldwide tourists, including Thais eager to visit historical Buddhist sites, NRNA chairman Dhakal said.
The sites include the Lord Buddha’s birthplace, Lumbini, from which collected soil will be given to attendees of the events, he said.
The hosts are not expecting a particular level of revenue from the remembrance events, but are instead looking forward to warming relations between the two countries, he added.
Nepal was the most badly affected country by last year’s earthquake, with India, China and Bangladesh also hit by casualties and damage.
The disaster, together with four aftershocks, left Nepal with 8,857 dead, more than 20,000 injured and some 3.5 million homeless.
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