Kathmandu, September 19: Former president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Shesh Ghale and his wife, Jamuna Ghale, are set to provide long-term assistance of up to Rs 578.5 million to children affected by the Bhotekoshi floods.
An agreement to this effect was signed on Friday between the MIT Group Foundation, led by the Ghale couple, and the National Child Rights Council at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens.
Minister Sita Badi, who also chairs the National Child Rights Council, was present at the ceremony.
The National Child Rights Council is a specialised body established under the Act Relating to Children, 2018 (2075 BS), to protect and promote children’s rights and interests. The government transformed the former Central Child Welfare Board into the National Child Rights Council.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has stated that around 17,000 children affected by the floods in Rasuwa are in need of mental health and psychosocial support. UNICEF has also said that more than 500 children who are without parents or guardians or have been separated from their families are at high risk and require protection services.
Foundation to Support Education Through Grade 12
The foundation said it would support flood-affected children under the age of 18 to continue their education through Grade 12.
Under the support programme, expenses will be covered according to the individual circumstances of the children, including education, food, accommodation, clothing, healthcare and other basic needs.
Writing on social media, Ghale said the problems faced by children affected by the floods would not end even after the floodwaters receded.
He said the floods had brought changes to the lives of some children that no child should ever have to experience, adding that he and his wife had been deeply affected by the circumstances faced by the children and their families.
“We feel fortunate that we can support them not only during this difficult time but also in the years ahead, so that they can continue their education, meet their basic needs and look to the future with hope,” Ghale said.
He said the assistance was not limited to financial support. The objective, he said, was to stand by the children over the long term as they grew up and ensure that the hardships they had experienced did not determine the opportunities they would have in life.
“Most importantly, we want them to feel that they have not been forgotten,” Ghale said.
The Ghale couple, who reside in Australia, have invested in various sectors in Nepal, including five-star hotels.
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