KATHMANDU, June 4 : The SOS International has announced financial assistance of around Rs 1.25 billion to help rehabilitation efforts in Nepal. The assistance is meant for supporting those children left homeless and deprived of parental care after the major earthquake that struck the country on April 25, and its aftershocks.
In a news conference at SOS Children's Village Nepal central office, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, SOS International President Mr Siddhartha Kaul, said the amount will be spent in assisting the efforts for the rehabilitation of those children losing homes and parents to the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks and the families rendered homeless.
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The charitable organisation has a plan of constructing 300 houses, four community schools and four child care centers in Nepal. "We are eager to lend helping hands to Nepal in the rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of the major earthquake here," said Kaul on the occasion, adding he was hopeful that the government would create an atmosphere conducive for starting humanitarian works for the organisation.
The amount was managed from donations of the European donors. SOS donors were extremely worried about the post-disaster scenario in Nepal and future about the affected people, he said.
A senate of SOS International was taking place in its headquarters in Austria when Nepal was rattled by the earthquake and the senate immediately appealed to its donors to do something to help Nepal in the moments of grief, he added. SOS Children' Village Nepal would provide permanent shelters to over 200 children left orphaned during the quake and SOS International is ready to extend its branch here if necessary. There are around 10 SOS children's villages in Nepal that have sheltered around 20,000 children.
More 32 children arrived in these villages after the April 25 earthquake, it is learnt. Mr Kaul, who is presently on a four-day visit to Nepal, arrived here on June 1. SOS International Asia Region, Director, Ms Shuva Murti, who has been in Nepal since April 27 for rescue and relief missions, said she felt very sorry that many kids rendered homeless by the earthquake.
SOS Nepal President Prof Bishwa Keshar Maskey thanked the SOS International humanitarian support for the earthquake survivors. National Director Shreeshankar Pradhananga pledged to come up with family strengthening progrmmes to promote education of the children losing either father or mother in the earthquake.
The SOS had come into existence with the motto of 'Save Our Soul 'after the Second World War and with a view to providing proper care and quality education to the war-hit children in 1949. Austria's social worker Dr Hermann Gmeiner is credited for its emergence. It has reached out in 134 countries across the world. RSS
