Let’s do a quick review for those who are new here:
At the end of September, 2024, raging floods and landslides swept through areas around and in Kathmandu. They wiped out hundred of acres of crops, destroyed homes, killed livestock, and wiped out mountain roads leading to remote areas of the Kathmandu Valley. Across the area, approximately 200 people were killed, 200 more were injured, and more than 100 are still missing. The mountain roads that were wiped out will take years to rebuild. There were very few crops remaining to eat or to feed livestock. Food prices skyrocketed and continue to remain high.
In November, we sent money to Shahadev in Pharping to host a community dinner for any and all elders in the village. I made it clear that even the town drunk must be included if he wanted to eat. (There really is one, and he’s kind and soft-spoken, and I know because I’ve met him.) I wanted no elder turned away. Any excess money and food were to be used at the elder care home.
We fed nearly 60 people in November, and that was the first meat many of those elders had eaten in a month.
In January, Shahadev and his friends and family gathered once again to host a meal for the elders of the village, thanks to our beautiful donors.
This time, the Senior Center in the heart of the village was packed with even more elders. Shahadev sent photos and videos, and the videos are almost overwhelming to watch. I’m trying to get everything into short-form video for social media, and also working on getting a YouTube channel going, and once that happens I’ll send out the links for you all to see. For now, here are some photos.
Upper left, Shahadev taking a photo with the elders. The woman in the background, holding the pot, is his mother. I adore her. She loves me almost as much as she loves her own daughter. I’ve met the entire family and have dinner with them on every trip. Shahadev is, in every sense of the word, my brother. There are more elders than what these photos are able to capture.
I am forever grateful to our compassionate and kind donors and supporters for making moments like these happen. We are working on another meal soon.
Love you all!
Alicia
💕