Nepal changed me

Manama

When Nepalese national Him Lal Panday first heard that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit his homeland on April 25, his first thoughts were on how quickly he could go there and help his compatriots.

His own safety was of no concern to him as he boarded the next available flight to Nepal without hesitation. He spent the next few weeks in disaster struck areas of the country helping fellow citizens. Panday, who just arrived back in Bahrain, counts himself lucky. Panday told DT News.

“I have lost only wealth and possessions, others have lost more. Many have lost their children, parents or friends, so compared to that, I am lucky,” he said “When I reached Nepal, it was raining heavily and people were sleeping, drenched in the open. Everyone was terrified, for they had just experienced the most traumatic experience in their lives. They couldn’t even buy food because they had lost all their money,” he explained.

“After landing in Nepal, I went straight to Kathmandu, to search for my wife and child. As the communications lines were lost, I could not contact them from Bahrain. I didn’t even know if they were alive,” he said.

He said he roamed around the city shouting their names and after four hours, he found them. “I am very grateful and pleased that they are safe and well. I took them to a village in a remote area in Nepal where my parents live,” he added.

After making sure they were safe, he set out to search for the families of his friends in Bahrain. “My Nepalese friends in Bahrain were not able to come to Nepal, and they didn’t know if their families were alive. I located them and passed on the information. It was terrible to convey bad news to some of them.” He recalled.

Panday spent most of his time helping others and his efforts were recognized by social organisations in Nepal. “The experiences and sights I witnessed has really changed my life. It made me realize how easily things can change, it gave me a whole new perspective on life,” he added.