Engage Nepal

09/20/2026

Our latest update. So much more to be done.

It’s a Saturday night — twenty three days after the horrific climate event that triggered the devastating flash flood in Nepal. Already the event is receding from the headlines but it wil be years before those who survived will be able to put the horrors of that day behind them. We provided $40K...

09/14/2026

More help on the way!

09/08/2026

September 7, 2026

“This hurts my heart.”

That’s what my wife Leija said when I finished reading her something that our friend and partner, Om Thapaliya, had shared on Facebook. His words are below.

They were a reflection stemming from his trip to Nuwakot where he was personally led the distribution of Engage Nepal’s first shipment of emergency relief supplies. We brought generators urgently needed to power health posts. We had special packets for the children… drawing paper, a pen, a pencil, a notepad, a bag. And we had comprehensive relief bundles that we were able to distribute to 625 families.

We’re proud of that, but, 625 is, at the end of the day, just a number. It conveys a quantity of effort, but it cannot capture the compassion behind the work. Too often our story focuses on the numbers, the end product of our work. But, lest we forget, the numbers are just numbers. So let me bring the focus back to the reason for our work — the reason we care, the reason we try to ease the pain in any way we can.

And, if you read Om’s words, I’m willing to bet, they will hurt your heart too.

Om’s post:

I am searching for the faint traces of lives dissolved into the gravel of the Trishuli.

Just yesterday, while distributing relief supplies, 34‑year‑old Sommaya Tamang — originally from Tupche, Nuwakot and now taking shelter at the holding center in Ward No. 7 — held the relief package in one hand and wiped her tears with the other as she recounted how, before her own eyes, her husband and six‑year‑old daughter Dolmaya were swept away by the Bhote Koshi flood in Tupche Bazaar.

And so I walked toward that same tragic riverbed — hoping that perhaps the final remnants of those vanished lives might still be scattered there.

The moment I stepped on it, the entire ground seemed to swallow my feet. Even now, that riverbed looks as though it could gulp down one or two more lives without hesitation. Still, I moved forward, closer to the terrifying current of the Trishuli.

As I examined the riverbed, I saw a coffee table half‑buried in the sand, and nearby, six cups lying upside down. As if, before the catastrophic flood of Bhadau 10, someone had been sitting there enjoying coffee while admiring the serene, life‑giving Trishuli. Looking at that table and those cups, an unwanted scene kept replaying in my mind. I walked a little farther.

To the right, I saw the carcass of a dead chicken; to the left, some scattered clothes. Using a piece of wood, I turned the clothes over one by one. By then, waves of emotion were rising inside me even more violently than the Bhote Koshi flood itself. My mind suddenly returned to Sommaya Tamang — the woman I had met only a few hours earlier.

She had told me, struggling for breath:

“Sir, in front of the school at Tupche Bazaar, my husband had taken on the job of repairing a house. I used to carry sand and bricks, and my six‑year‑old daughter Dolmaya played nearby on the ground. My husband was working below the road, my daughter was close by, and I was a little above, mixing cement and sand. Suddenly there was a loud noise from above. The ground shook. Dust and smoke filled the sky. Everything turned dark. I heard hundreds of people screaming and crying.

In an instant, the flood came from above — lifting the house’s tin sheets and wooden beams. I screamed toward my husband and tried to pull my daughter toward me. My husband was trying to climb up to save both of us. For a moment, my hand and his hand both touched our daughter’s hand. I threw the shawl from around my neck toward them — ‘Grab it!’ I shouted. But the flood snatched the shawl away.

That wave flung me far from the road, as if saying, ‘You — suffer and live.’ I screamed ‘Dolu!’ and then ‘Dolu’s father!’ But right before my eyes, the flood carried away my beloved daughter Dolu and my husband.”

Lost in thought, I wandered away from the riverbed for a while, then returned. Among the scattered clothes, I found a piece of a child’s frock. In that torn piece, I felt Dolmaya’s spirit trembling. And in that same riverbed, I saw the forever‑vanished figure of Sommaya’s husband.

My eyes filled with tears. I collapsed onto that tragic sand. I don’t know why, but after that, I could no longer remain there — and I walked away.

09/05/2026

Our team is on the ground in Nuwakot. It’s pretty grim.

Some of our volunteers were unable to get across the river and I don’t blame them for not wanting to use the perilous rope way contraption. Our team did use it, however, to get some petrol across for the generators we delivered to the health posts.

The reality of the situation on the ground has hit them pretty hard, though. So many families have lost loved ones and soon it will be 13 days — the last in the time of mourning. The finality of loss hits hardest perhaps. As our team leader, Om Thapaliya, visited homes where many flood-affected families are sheltering with relatives, he encountered folks dressed in mourning white who found it hard to move past their sorrow.

Many of those families, who are outside the holding centers, have not received any assistance at all or been contacted or counted or considered. We are doing our best to identify those most at risk and most in need. They are the ones we will reach out to first. There is no doubt, however, that everything in the three jeep loads will be disbursed.

Om reported that at the holding centers there was a surplus of rice and clothing. An over abundance. That’s what happens when there’s no effective coordination. I’m glad that we had such strong engagement with local leaders in advance. It looks as though there is a need for everything we brought.

We’re still trying to get a good understanding of the situation on the ground. Om’s visit will help but I’m willing to be it will be a while before we know as much as we’d like to for planning purposes. Nonetheless, I had a good meeting today with two colleagues from the Gorkha Foundation. We are working with them and with Châine de l’Espoir (our French non-profit partner in pediatric health) to plan our initial trauma counseling support. All of us have good Nepali partners we work with and by combining all our efforts we are confident we can be even more effective. We’ll go from there to looking at broader child and public health and safety planning and, with the Gorkha Foundation, we’re starting to talk about education options.

There’s a lot of planning going on. We’ll share more as we go but that’s all for tonight.

09/04/2026

From one of our partners on the ground. These are difficult days in Nepal. We are doing all we can to help.

08/31/2026

Engage Nepal Newsletter
August 30, 2026

Dear Friends.

“The bigger question… the bigger challenge… is how do you rebuild lives?”

That was the last line in this New York Time video linked below.

It’s the right question to ask. The answer, however, is not as easily found. Many organizations have rushed to provide immediate support in the face of the climate disaster that struck Nepal this past week. We have too and will continue to do so. Almost immediately we sent a bit more than $4000 to one of our partners, Fusion Nepal, that was on the ground and able to provide much needed immediate help in terms of clothing and dignity kits (soap, toothbrush, sanitary pads, etc.). I’ll share their message on the impact, below.

Tomorrow we’ll be sending another $25K to help address immediate needs in 5 wards in Nuwakot. All are on the north side of the Trishuli River and have become more inaccessible due to the bridge disappearing in the torrent of water that roared down the river last week. The needs include clothing, generators, tents, gas burners and cylinders, more dignity kits and medical kits, and mosquito nets. It’s is not an exhaustive list, but an illustrative one. There’s a need for trauma counselors as well. We’re on it. Then there’s the cost of transport and porters. And the children, who are vulnerable in so many ways, will need added support.

It’s just a start though.

And, although at the moment there are many actors rushing, like us, to provide immediate humanitarian relief, many, if not most, of them will be gone in a few months, moved on to the next disaster. That’s not a criticism. Just a statement of fact.

We’ll still be there. Sharing the journey. That’s what we do.

And so begins the Bhote Koshi Flash Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Program.

We know it is going to ultimately be a multi-year, multi-focal effort because disaster response is not just about food and water and shelter. It is also about risk reduction and planning for the future to ensure that this does not happen again. It’s about trauma recovery and mental health support for people who have lost everything. People who will need livelihood retraining, who will need health support, who will need a helping hand to make it through the first winter that will draw closer every day.

Then there are the kids. In temporary shared quarters that could last for months, keeping them safe from exploitation, continuing their education, and helping them come to terms with the horrors of what they experienced is no small task. This too will take time and care and resources.

All that, and more, is for the days to come. We will build the project framework one step at a time and, with your help, and the generous support of the Heinz Family Foundation, we have a strong start. I hope you’ll continue to share the journey with us, helping as and when you can. We’ll need it.

It’s hard to explain how much it matters but perhaps this message, from our partners at Fusion Nepal, will give you a sense of how much even our first, comparatively small, transfer of funds has meant.

“Dear Sir,

We are deeply thankful for Engage Nepal’s generous support for the flood-affected families in Nuwakot.

Today, we distributed many hygiene kits, T-shirts, trousers, and women’s dresses to families who have lost almost everything. For many, receiving clean clothes and basic hygiene items such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and sanitary pads brought much-needed relief.

One mother shared that she had no dry clothes to change her child into. Moments like this remind us how important even these simple things are during such a difficult time.

Several families shared that government relief had been promised but never reached them. "We heard supplies came, but it is still in store,"

Perhaps the most moving moment came when we distributed menstruation pads to the women. Many wept, not from sorrow, but from being seen in a need so many are too ashamed to speak of. They had been suffering quietly, and today, someone finally stood beside them in that suffering.

The distribution is not finished yet. We still have materials remaining from the supplies we prepared, and we will continue distributing them to more affected families in the coming days.

Families are also asking for pressure cookers and basic kitchen utensils so they can prepare warm meals, as well as blankets and warm coverings for the colder days ahead.

In parts of Nuwakot where electricity has returned, mothers are asking specifically for electric jugs, just to warm milk for their babies.

The need ahead is still vast. We want to reach the next part of Nuwakot, but the river crossing remains difficult; though we're hopeful it will open soon. We are preparing additional packages for when it does.

Thank you from our hearts to your donors for making this possible. Their support is bringing practical help, dignity, and hope to these families when they need it most.

With heartfelt gratitude and prayers,

Fusion Nepal “

—————-

I wanted you to know, just how much your generosity matters. It is true in everything we do but, tonight, as we work to bring even more help to those in need, it means even more than ever.

If you have not yet donated, please, consider giving now.

And for those who have already donated, let me thank you once again for the generous outpouring of support. I cannot tell you how deeply grateful I am for all of you.

Thank you for your compassion and support. You can donate at www.engagenepal.org

https://fb.watch/JkCqtlggwT/?fs=e

08/27/2026

We are going to do all we can to help. We need your support. It’s as simple as that. We can’t do it without you. Please see our fundraiser below.

08/26/2026

Please help if you can. The need is overwhelming and the heartbreak wrenching.

08/26/2026

Nepal has suffered a catastrophic disaster today.

A massive flash flood — likely caused by a glacial lake outburst — tore down the Trishuli and Bhote Koshi Rivers with unimaginable force. Entire communities have been swept away. Thousands are feared dead, and the toll may reach into the tens of thousands.

Our partners in Nepal are already coordinating relief efforts, but the need will be immense.

Please help.

Every penny you give goes directly to those affected.

Show Nepal’s survivors that they are not alone.

Donate today.

05/15/2026

Another possible area of collaboration for Engage Nepal.