Dear friends and supporters,
The 2015 earthquakes have forever changed Nepal and impacted Nepalis living all over the world. Adhikaar was on the frontlines of the response and relief effort – providing support to our community in New York; working with a coalition of Nepali and other organizations around the country to successfully campaign for the Temporary Protected Status; partnering with legal service organizations to inform our community members around the country about TPS and run free weekly legal clinics to help them apply for TPS status; and raising funds to provide immediate as well as long-term support for those who survived the devastation in Nepal.
We are grateful to our friends and allies like you for your love and support that made it possible for Adhikaar to leverage our long-term partnerships in service of our community during a difficult period, while continuing to hold our ongoing work as the only women-led worker and community center that serves and organizes the Nepali-speaking immigrant and refugee community.
Adhikaar was one of the first groups to remit funds to Nepal in support of relief efforts, starting within two days after the first earthquake. Adhikaar spent its own funds before the funds raised online were available. We supported registered organizations as well as informal collectives led by a range of individuals, including domestic workers, doctors, nurses, students, and other volunteers, and reached more than fifteen districts.
In addition to direct funds, we also used our connections to help coordinate medicines, medical equipments, and other needed supplies that were identified by the volunteers directly to Nepal from different parts of the world.
We had a goal of raising $20,000 to support relief efforts. However, with to the overwhelming support from our friends and allies that helped us exceed our goal within a few days, we decided to leverage the opportunity to raise additional funds for long-term needs of the earthquake survivors, and raised over $192,000.
We appreciate your patience and support as we finalize all the project partners for reconstruction efforts. The delay has been beyond our control due to the volatile political situation in Nepal. It took the Government of Nepal over a year to finalize the policy guidelines for rebuilding. Additionally, our partners working with marginalized communities have also faced challenges due to the pre-existing socio-economic barriers.
Since last year, we have been in continuous conversation with our trusted partners in Nepal. Adhikaar Executive Director, Luna Ranjit, made a trip to Nepal (on her own expense) last summer to gather additional information and meet with some of the potential partners. As a human rights and social justice organization, we are committed to working with partners dedicated to promoting marginalized communities and broader equity and sustainability concerns beyond physical infrastructure.
Once again, we would like to thank you for your love, support, and generous contributions during a difficult period for our community. Once we have finalized the project partners, we will send you an update through our listserv and also provide regular updates here on our website, and on our Facebook page. Please stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Adhikaar Team