IN APRIL, 2015, a 7.8 earthquake struck parts of Nepal, leaving entire communities in ruins. Project Hope, an initiative founded, inspired and led by HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji immediately arranged relief materials to the quake-affected people. Hope rushed three huge trucks of supplies as well as volunteers from Nepal and India to aid thousands of people.
Pujya Swamiji also visited Nepal, soon after the disaster, met with Project Hope volunteers, assessed the relief efforts/rehabilitation plans and personally distributed relief material such as tents, tarpaulins, blankets, solar lanterns, clothes and other necessities to many remote villages in Nepal.
Already seven large trucks of relief materials have been dispatched and distributed with relief materials, including:
* Over 10,000 blankets,
* 10,000 water bottles,
* 15,000 packets of daily supplies,
* 5,000 tents and tarpaulins,
* foods supplies and many other items.
* More relief materials are being planned and will continue to be dispatched based upon the need.
More than 25 villages/towns with over 11,000 families have been served by the dedicated Hope volunteers.
During His visit, Pujya Swamiji met with Project Hope's team of medical professionals, led by Shri Bachubhai, who were serving tirelessly since the Earthquake. Project Hope's dedicated team of health professionals continue to serve day and night.
Pujya Swamiji also visited Chirayu National Hospital & Medical Institute and lauded Mr. Sangay Gurungji, Founder of the Hospital, Sangay Gurungi coordinated the efforts to provide quality health-care services to as many needy, ill and/or injured people as possible. Pujya Swamiji spent time with the patients and also met with doctors, including Orthopaedic Doctors, Surgeons, Paediatricians, Neurosurgeons and many others, and inspired them to keep serving the needy and affected population as well as to encourage their friends and colleagues to join them.
In future Project Hope will be taking up relief works such as:
* Rebuilding a Sacred Buddha Temple in Saanga Village, Dist Rabre. Rebuilding a School completely brought down by the Earthquake.
* Building a Community Centre, entitled Matri Chhaya, to provide residence, education and skills training for orphaned children and widowed women
* Organizing of a National Scale Prosthetic Limb Camp in partnership with Mahavir Seva Sadan of Kolkatta to serve all those who have lost their limbs, especially during the recent tragedy
* Coordinating WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) awareness and education in Nepal, especially with the support of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance's coalition of faith leaders.
* Continuation of sending and distributing relief materials in remote villages affected by the earthquake.
* Continuation and facilitation of medical relief and aid by coordinating doctors and health care professionals to serve and hold camps for needy populations.
Project Hope is working closely in conjunction with its sister organizations, the Divine Shakti Foundation Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh) to carry out some of the phase one rehabilitation projects mentioned above. To learn more, visit www.divineshaktifoundation.org<http://parmarth.bmetrack.com/c/l?u=523F6A2&e=742DD3&c=4C0C5&t=0&l=872D112&email=As2W2abQNK%2BTQs7ZIhm5dA%3D%3D>; www.parmarth.org<http://parmarth.bmetrack.com/c/l?u=5264789&e=742DD3&c=4C0C5&t=0&l=872D112&email=As2W2abQNK%2BTQs7ZIhm5dA%3D%3D>
