La Roche University students grapple with devastation in Nepal
PITTSBURGH —
Rescue efforts continue in Nepal after devastating flash floods killed more than 500 people and left over 1,500 missing.
For La Roche University students Bima Giri and Pratima Sarki, dealing with fear and uncertainty about their friends and loved ones has been hard.
“With all the news, I just feel helpless and lost. It’s just devastating what’s happening there,” said Giri, a senior at La Roche University.
“Everything was like tore apart. It was, there was no life. There was no home. There was no living. So, that’s how I realized what’s going on in there. And as I said, like, everything is so devastating. It just brought me to tears,” Giri said.
Sarki described her family’s reaction to the disaster. “I texted my brother, and he said, ‘Yeah, it’s true.’ And I called my mom, and she was nervous, like, ‘Hey, these things are happening,’” she said.
Both students said their immediate families live in communities away from the majority of the damage and are OK, but they remain concerned about the possibility of further devastation.
“So, I’m still terrified because there are a lot of warnings. There are a lot of situations that are unfolding as we speak,” Giri said.
“I have no words to say because it’s a human nature. You cannot stop it. You know, you cannot just do anything else. But just, I would like to say, like, just stay safe and protect your family as well,” Sarki said.
Sarah White, dean of students at La Roche University, emphasized the school’s commitment to supporting its students during this challenging time.
“And we just want to be there for our students. Their families were wonderful enough to trust us with these students, and so, and to let them travel so far away to study here, that — we see that as our duty to make sure that we walk this with them,” White said.
Amid the tragedy, Giri expressed hope for recovery. “But we’ve always stood stronger and taller, as tall as Mount Everest. So, it’s all about helping each other out,” she said.
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