Members of Australia’s Nepali community have come together to help people affected by the ‘catastrophic’ bushfires in New South Wales, by donating $20,000 to NSW Rural Fire Service.
With a target of raising $10,000, a fundraising drive was launched on Tuesday, 12 November, on the day when thousands of volunteers were fighting fires across the state.
Accepting the cheque on behalf of his organisation, RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons thanked the members of the Nepali community and said "the money will help make a real difference for the 2000 fire brigades across New South Wales".
“This will go a long way to ensure this money will be spent on equipment, programs and services, directly to support the volunteers”, he said.
That initial target was reached within the first two days, with the final amount donated to RFS on Friday 22 November.
Keshav Kandel, President of the Australian branch of the global Nepali diaspora association NRNA, said the fundraising initiative was launched by his organisation to help “fellow Australians in any way we can”.
He said it was also their way of thanking Australians for their support after the devastating earthquakes in Nepal in 2015 that killed more than 9,000 people.
“It’s very important for us to be able to assist fellow Australians who provided so much assistance to Nepal after the earthquake, it’s our turn to give back”, he told SBS Nepali.
Another group of Nepalis is also raising money for the Australian Red Cross to help bushfire-impacted communities across Australia. Sydney resident Shamser Thapa is one of the organisers of the fundraising campaign.
For him this effort is also about showing “solidarity and loyalty to Australia”.
“It’s not about an individual or an organization but about Nepalis helping fellow Australians”.
Others who donated shared similar sentiments.
“Let’s get together and help the affected communities,” said Bipin Sitaula
“I wanted to help with what I can,” commented Chandani Sitaula.
Many hoping their small contributions will go towards making a real difference to the state’s bushfire victims.
Melbourne-based Keshav Kandel said many Nepalis in his home state still remember the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009 that took the lives of 180 people.
“Many saw the impact such disasters have on communities. So fundraising is about how we can support fellow members of the community”, he said.
“We are part of this community. This is our home. We were born in Nepal but we have equal responsibility for Australia too”.
It’s not the first time Australia’s Nepali community has rallied to help fellow Australians.
In 2018, NRNA Australia also raised funds for drought-affected farmers in the northern New South Wales town of Walgett.
But Keshav Kandel wants his fellow Nepali origin residents to understand that fundraising isn’t the only way to help the community.
Shamsere Thapa agrees saying there are plenty of volunteering opportunities including providing food and shelter.
NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons leads the largest volunteer fire service in the world, with 72 thousand volunteers spread across the state.
He says there are plenty of opportunities for people to volunteer.
"If you’ve got a local volunteer rural fire service, we would love to see you join up as members. There’s a role for everybody".
"You don’t have to a front-line firefighter out in the field, there are plenty of roles to make sure every firefighter is looked after", he said.
