Heartbroken Restaurant Owner Raising Funds for Devastated Homeland
As horrific as the images of the destruction from the earthquake in Nepal appear from afar, the actual devastation and despair is much worse, according to Gyaljen Nuru Sherpa, owner of Jewel of Himalaya restaurant in Yorktown.
Sherpa was born and raised in Nepal, so he is very familiar with what his countrymen are going through. His youngest first cousin was among the more than 7,000 people killed by the 7.8-earthquake that rocked the country to its core on April 25. One of his chefs lost two close relatives and his house, while another co-worker who just came to the United States also lost his house.
“Our country has the happiest people in the world. Now everybody is crying,” Sherpa said. “This is much worse than September 11 here because the whole nation is knocked down and you can’t get help from your neighbor. We just hope this kind of disaster doesn’t happen again anywhere. Nobody deserves to go through something like this.”
It is estimated that at least 15,000 people were injured and 300,000 homes were completely or partially destroyed. Sherpa said he was proud to learn that his 28-year-old cousin saved six other people before he died and relieved two nephews who live close to the most severely damaged area survived. His mother and sister still live in Nepal but not near the epicenter of the earthquake.
Sherpa explained 80% of residents in Nepal live in the mountain area where the earthquake struck. Since Nepal is landlocked, he said the only way to access it is through aircrafts. Monsoon season in Nepal is also approaching and Nepal only has one international runway for planes to come and go.
“Before we clean the city we have to find lives,” Sherpa said. “It is heartbreaking. Thankfully the earthquake didn’t happen in the capital city. One million people would have died. I lost my father 30 years ago and I didn’t cry as much. We want people to pray for us. We need company. We need love. We feel like we are lost.”
Sherpa, who last visited Nepal in 2011, said he is aching to travel to his country to lend a hand but his brother-in-law informed him he would be helpless at this time since he is in Nepal and is unable to do much because of the lack of materials, manpower and electricity.
“We cannot fight Mother Nature. We have to accept it and move on,” Sherpa said. “It will take a long time to build back even if you have money. You can’t build a house for everyone. If I go back it will be very sad. I can’t concentrate. Why am I here? I feel like I want to fly to Nepal right away.”
A few days after the earthquake, Sherpa set up a table outside his popular eatery to collect donations for Nepal. Besides generous monetary support, including $400 from one man, Sherpa said he had received hundreds of emails and Facebook messages from customers expressing their sadness and offers to assist in any way possible.
“We are blessed here in Yorktown. The people here are some of the nicest anywhere,” he said. “There are so many good human beings willing to help. The Nepal community has a strong bond. They are so much connected. They rely on each other.”
Sherpa said he will likely be collecting donations for several weeks at Jewel of Himalaya, which is located in the Triangle Shopping Center. He also encouraged people to visit www.nepalese4socialchange.com and www.helpandsavenepal.com.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
