Story
The Somerville student body is fundraising to help those who have been affected by the devastating flash floods in Nepal and China. One of our own, Minshu Gupta, a sixth-year medic at Somerville, has been personally affected by this tragedy, and she has written the following appeal:
My mumma was caught in the flash floods while crossing the Nepal-China border two weeks ago. They are still searching for her body, but because she was inside the immigration centre when the floods hit, we have accepted that she has passed away. She was the most generous and selfless person I will ever know. Every year, she donated whatever she could to charity, but her generosity truly shone through in her everyday life.
She sacrificed so much for our family, putting aside her own desires to raise three children and even compromising her career in the process. She was always the friend people turned to when they needed comfort in the hardest of times. Having started singing lessons a year ago alongside her journey into spirituality over the past few years, I felt she had finally begun to live for herself. I grieve deeply for the person she was still becoming.
Whenever I came to her with my worries, she’d remind me of how many ways I was blessed compared to others. While I resisted her perspective at the time, her ability to look past the negative served as the foundation for a vibrant community of people who loved her for it. She would want me to do the same now, using the privilege I have at Somerville College to help those who are most in need.
While we are struggling without her, our sadness is rooted entirely in her loss. I am fortunate to have my papa, my sisters, and a whole community to support me. There are children and families out there who are not so lucky. There are children who have no families left, and families whose entire lives have been washed away. Mumma would want me to help these people—those who have nobody else to turn to. That is exactly how she would want to be remembered.
I turn to you now to ask that you donate whatever you can—if not to the Red Cross, then to any charity of your choice. Every single contribution goes toward helping those who are less fortunate and in desperate need of our support. I ask you to look beyond your own worries and challenges, just as my mumma did, and see what you can do for others.
Our thoughts and sympathies are with the countless families, friends and communities who have been impacted by this disaster. With thousands of homes and livelihoods destroyed, the region is now in desperate need of food, shelter and medicine, to help victims gain access to essential services and start to rebuild their lives.
The Nepal Red Cross Society is currently on the ground establishing emergency camps for those displaced, providing essentials and emergency items, and supporting search and rescue efforts. They are also helping to monitor the situation to assess risks to the community, evacuating people to higher ground in places where there is danger of further flooding.
Please consider donating, even a small amount, to this humanitarian relief effort. Your donation will support life-saving work in this time of crisis, and help prevent further tragedy.
On behalf of Somerville, Minshu, and her family, thank you.