The devastation of the Nepalese earthquake has had direct effects on staff and students from Flinders, and staff are being urged to make donations to the much-needed relief efforts.

As well as the numerous Nepalese students studying at Flinders to suffer losses in their homeland, Dr Jyoti Khadka, a researcher in Optometry and Vision Science, has been personally touched by the tragedy, with the death of a cousin and the destruction of his family home.

Dr Khadka is appealing to colleagues and students at Flinders to make donations to the charities working to relieve the human misery in Nepal, which is one of the poorest countries in the world.

“This disaster has left millions of people, including an estimated two million children, homeless,’ Dr Khadka said.

“Nepal needs help to survive now and rebuild later.”

The call is supported by Hanna Daych, a Flinders Law-International Relations student who was in Kathmandu at the time of the earthquake, en route to Australia from a student exchange program in the Netherlands. She has written an article for a Dutch newspaper about the earthquake and its effects.

Flinders graduate Jimmy Grant (pictured with local Nepalese) was in Namche in Nepal when the quake hit and is now raising money to help victims in the immediate area directly, taking time away from teaching English to the monks in a small village in Thamo. He has raised nearly $20,000 so far.

His fundraising page, with details of his work, is here.

The University is extremely supportive of staff wishing to make donations to the relief effort and recommends that these be made directly to existing aid agencies which are equipped in disaster management and already have online giving campaigns established. They include World Vision Nepal Earthquake Appeal, Oxfam Australia, and Australian Red Cross.

Staff are welcome to combine their donations and publicise the cause by organising and participating in fundraising events on campus.

For the next few weeks, Oasis is collecting practical items such as blankets, clothing and first-aid kits to be sent to Nepal. If you wish to make a donation, please drop any items into Oasis, located on the lower floor of the Function Centre, from Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm.