Walcha publican Ganesh Sedhain has lost 11 friends and has more than 60 others missing after catastrophic flooding tore through his home region of Nepal, and is now turning his grief into action with a major community fundraiser.
Mr Sedhain, who owns the Apsley Arms Hotel, is originally from Nuwakot, one of the districts hit hardest by the disaster. His immediate family is safe, but the flooding has caused widespread destruction across Nuwakot and neighbouring Rasuwa, damaging homes, roads, bridges and other essential infrastructure. At least 34 Australians are missing after deadly flash flooding along the Tibet-Nepal border on 26 August.
In a message shared on behalf of the Nepalese community in Walcha, Mr Sedhain said behind every photograph and every figure reported in the news was a human story.
“There is a mother wondering where her family will sleep tonight. There is a child whose home and school may no longer be there. There are families waiting anxiously for news of loved ones. There are people looking at the remains of homes and livelihoods that took decades to build,” he said.
He said watching the disaster unfold from Australia stirred complicated emotions.
“We are grateful to be safe here, but our thoughts constantly return to the people back home,” he said. “We can go to work, return to a safe house, turn on clean water and sleep peacefully at night. At the same time, families affected by the flooding may be searching for shelter, food, drinking water and basic necessities.”
He said that feeling had a name.
“It creates a feeling of helplessness. But we believe helplessness can be turned into action,” he said.
Mr Sedhain is now organising a fundraiser at the Apsley Arms on Saturday, 5 September, with a goal of raising at least $10,000 for people affected by the disaster. The evening will open at 5pm with a candlelight gathering outside the hotel in memory of those who have died, followed by an auction and raffles, with tickets priced at $5.
Walcha has already responded generously, with more than $3000 worth of goods donated before the fundraiser was formally announced, including eight tonnes of firewood and a private helicopter flight worth about $700. Mr Sedhain said the strength of a town should never be judged by its size.
“Walcha may be a small town, but we know from living here that the strength of a community is not measured by its population. It is measured by how people come together when someone needs help,” he said.
“We have experienced the generosity and community spirit of Walcha ourselves. Now, we hope that same spirit can travel beyond our town, beyond Australia and all the way to families struggling in Nepal.”
The Apsley Arms will donate $5 from every main meal sold on Saturday, while Walcha Bar and Grill, also run by Mr Sedhain, will donate $5 from breakfast, lunch and dinner purchases throughout the day, giving those who cannot attend the evening event another way to contribute. Mr Sedhain came to Australia with his wife, Nisha Parajuli, about a decade ago. The couple lived in Sydney and spent time in Port Macquarie before a hospitality opportunity brought them to Walcha, where they now run both venues.
Mr Sedhain said no donation was too small.
“Every contribution, no matter how small, can become part of something much bigger when a community gives together,” he said. “We cannot undo what has happened. We cannot bring back the lives that have been lost. We cannot rebuild an entire community ourselves. But together, we may be able to help one family get through another day.”
He said the fundraiser was about more than money.
“This fundraiser is about more than raising money. It is about telling people experiencing one of the hardest moments of their lives that somewhere, even in a small town on the other side of the world, people care about them,” he said.
“Natural disasters remind us that life can change incredibly quickly. A home built over a lifetime can disappear in minutes. A family’s livelihood can be washed away. Roads, farms, businesses and communities can suddenly be gone. But even when so much is lost, humanity remains.”
Mr Sedhain is inviting the people, families, businesses and organisations of Walcha to stand with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.
“Whether through a donation, attending our fundraising event, sharing our message or simply encouraging others to become involved, every act of kindness matters,” he said. “We may come from different countries and different cultures, but suffering has no nationality, and neither does compassion.”
“From the hills of Walcha to the mountains of Nepal, let us show that distance does not stop us from caring.”
“You are not alone.”
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