Reflections on Nepal with Kiri and Bobong

The news coverage of the Nepalese earthquake has left much to be desired.* The trouble with the dry conveyance of facts is not only that its boring but also that it doesn't inspire curiosity or empathy for people who appear to be different from you. More and more I'm convinced that the way to get people to care about people over there and learn from big news stories is to deliver the news as stories, mini ethnographies of sorts.

So, as I was trying to capture a personal angle to the catastrophe, I came across several local connections to Nepal. Bobong Gurung is a native Nepali who now lives in Charlottesville and works as an interpreter for Nepali-speaking refugees. Kiri Van Lengen-Welty has spent time in Nepal volunteering for an organization called Empower Nepali Girls. 

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25th has wreaked havoc on the country.  But even as the death toll continues to rise, these two Charlottesville residents suggested that there’s reason to have hope for the country’s future.

Bobong began by describing Dharahara, a lighthouse-like watchtower built in 1832, which was destroyed by the earthquake.

 *For more on the problems of covering natural disasters see this On the Media piece.