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Nepali Students at Mississippi College Seek Earthquake Relief


MC students from Nepal Sumi Bhattarai, Bidusha Aryal, Rosy Shrestha, education professor Michele Morgan Morton, Saunak Pandit and his wife, Karuna.

Thousands of miles away from the earthquake that’s left more than 4,600 dead in Nepal, Nepali students are reaching out to the Mississippi College family to provide disaster relief.

Students, faculty and staff are asked to make donations of cash and supplies at tables starting Wednesday at the campus cafeteria. It’s part of a worldwide initiative to bring disaster relief to Nepal after the 7.8 earthquake and aftershocks hit Sunday.

“The Nepali people are together globally,” said Rosy Shrestha, a 25-year-old MBA student from Bhaktapur, Nepal. Trying to reach her parents at 2:30 a.m. was impossible at first and led to a sleepless night. “But it was very reassuring when they said they are OK.”

Rosy is among a half-dozen students from Nepal at the 5,000-student university in Clinton. They are joining hands with the Office of Christian Development to work on relief support for the remainder of the semester. The work will likely continue throughout the year.

MC is partnering with Baptist Global Relief and other agencies to provide relief in the months ahead. Cash donations, gift cards from Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowe’s are things that will provide immediate assistance, says Eric Pratt, MC vice president for Christian Development.

The Baptist-affiliated university has responded whenever disaster strikes, whether it is Hurricane Katrina more than a decade ago or when tornadoes slam into communities around the Magnolia State. MC assisted in Haiti after its earthquake and other countries when disasters strike with their prayers and support.

Rosy, who earned her bachelor’s degree at MC in 2013, will continue her studies on the Clinton campus this summer as disaster relief goes on.

Sumi Bhattarai, 24, who is working on a master’s in applied communication, was among the Nepali students, sharing the heartache in her native land. At first she couldn’t reach her parents, but learned they are fine.

“Our country needs help. We need resources. We need people to help them,” Sumi said. “We need doctors and we need food.”

The disaster has left many orphans on the streets of Nepal.

The Nepali students are pleased to see how the world is responding to the disaster. But they add that it’s not just about the moment – it will take years for Nepal to recover.

For more information, contact the MC Office of Christian Development at 601-925-3235 or orchristiandevelopment@mc.edu