In the News: Nepali Students Help Their Homeland

The Nepali Student Association and the International Student Affairs Office at Buffalo State organized an event to raise awareness about the devastation in Nepal following the severe earthquake that occurred in the country’s Kathmandu region on April 25. More than 150 aftershocks have followed, and more than 7,500 people have lost their lives, according to a presentation given by Ram Rai, associate professor of physics and a native of Nepal.

WBFO attended an information session and candlelight ceremony at Buffalo State on Tuesday, May 5. WBFO reporter Avery Schneider interviewed Shree Siwakoti, vice president of the Bhutanese-Nepali Community of Buffalo who said that even small donations matter. ​Siwakoti told Schneider, “A penny counts because a dollar here is like a hundred rupees over there.”

​The Nepali Student Association is collecting donations to send to earthquake victims through the college and the American Red Cross. Rai said a dollar is enough to feed a family for a day in Nepal. 

Rai also noted one positive outcome of the earthquake, drawing the Nepali student-community closer. “This tragic event brought them together, and they plan to do something,” Rai said.

Pictured: Members of the Buffalo State Nepali Student Association and faculty gather in preparation for Tuesday's Nepal Earthquake Relief presentation.