While Australia has benefited from economic stimulus during the COVID-19 pandemic and a reopening of businesses after months in lockdown, Nepal is struggling with its third-world medical system, delayed financial assistance from their government, and the return of migrant workers from India and the Middle East.
Now, fundraising efforts from Australian Rotary clubs are helping the Nepalese through the worst of the health crisis.
Recognising the need to initiate and support community programs aimed at countering the impact of coronavirus on the wider public, the Rotary Club of Kathmandu, Nepal, began a fundraising initiative aimed at:
- Providing medical personal protective equipment, including gowns, gloves and face masks,
- Installing wash stations to dispense sanitiser,
- Distributing food to disadvantaged people, the homeless and families who have lost employment, and
- Providing education and public awareness campaigns about COVID-19 and how people can protect themselves.
As International Services Director of the Rotary Club of Albury, NSW, Peter Elias has close ties with the Rotary Club of Kathmandu, with more than 20 years of project work in Nepal. Peter is leading an Australian fundraising effort, which is proving crucial in supporting families through the crisis.