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Nepalese Students At University Of Bridgeport Spurred To Act After Quake

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- The tragic events in Nepal, where a massive weekend earthquake has killed thousands, has spurred students from that distant land who are studying in Connecticut to come to their country's aid.

Amit  Adhikari, of Nepal, at bottom right, with his family in front of a Hindu temple in Gorkha, Nepal, called Manakamana, which was badly damaged in Saturday's earthquake. He is a student at the University of Bridgeport.

Amit Adhikari, of Nepal, at bottom right, with his family in front of a Hindu temple in Gorkha, Nepal, called Manakamana, which was badly damaged in Saturday's earthquake. He is a student at the University of Bridgeport.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Amit  Adhikari, of Nepal, is a student at the University of Bridgeport. His family in Nepal survived the earthquake.

Amit Adhikari, of Nepal, is a student at the University of Bridgeport. His family in Nepal survived the earthquake.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Satyam Shrestha, 28, a native of Nepal who is studying at the University of Bridgeport, said his family survived Saturday's earthquake.

Satyam Shrestha, 28, a native of Nepal who is studying at the University of Bridgeport, said his family survived Saturday's earthquake.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Nepalese students and others have organized a fundraising lunch Monday at the University of Bridgeport. Among those students is Satyam Shrestha, 28, who is graduating this year with a master's degree in global media and communications.

Shrestha, a resident of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, was relieved to learn that his relatives and friends were unharmed by the April 25 quake, which had a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale.

"Thankfully no one was hurt. I couldn't get through to them after the earthquake, but my brother (Nityam) was able to contact them," Shrestha said. 

He said it was his roommate who called him about the devastating news of the disaster.

"I turned on the news, and it was really very bad," he said of the earthquake, which has destroyed or severely damaged many of the country's architectural treasures. More than 5,800 people were killed and an estimated 2.8 million of the country's 27 million people were displaced.

Another student at the University of Bridgeport from Nepal is Amit Adhikari, 24. He's a first-year student in the global development and peace program.

He received a phone message while he was sleeping from his sister, saying she and their parents were safe. Still, when Adhikari saw the widespread devastation on the television, he became very worried.

"When I saw those pictures, I was really frightened. My hands were shaking as I dialed the phone,"  Adhikari said. He discovered his father's uncle had been in a building that collapsed but was rescued after three hours with nonlife-threatening injuries.

He has a second sister, married and living more than 100 miles from Kathmandu, who is safe, he said. 

Sadly, it hasn't all been good news.  Adhikari said he was saddened to learn an older student from school in Kathmandu had died.

His family spent four nights in a tent in a field because of their fears of aftershocks, but they were finally able to return to their undamaged home, he said.

The fundraising luncheon will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Cox Student Center, 244 University Ave., on the UB campus. The fundraiser is a student-organized, all-inclusive lunch to support American Red Cross relief efforts in the earthquake-ravaged country.

Entry is $10 for students and $20 for faculty, staff and the public. The event is organized by several students from Nepal with support from International Student Services and the Division of Student Affairs. 

Shrestha said the food will donated from a variety of restaurants, including: 

  • Baingan in Shelton
  • CT Station Asian Food in Bridgeport
  • Haveli Indian Restaurant in Middletown
  • Metric Bar & Grill in Bridgeport
  • MFC Fast Food Restaurant in Milford
  • Paradise Biryani Restaurant in Norwalk
  • Pizza Post in Fairfield
  • Red Apple in Bridgeport
  • Red Mango in Fairfield
  • Ruethai Kitchen LLC in Bridgeport
  • Tangare Biryani Restaurant in Stamford
  • Thali Indian Restaurant in New Canaan
  • Tazza Osteria & Bar in Fairfield
  • Two Boots in Bridgeport
  • Vazzy’s Restaurant in Bridgeport

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