By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A school-leaver volunteering in Kathmandu saw first-hand the devastation…
A RECENT Pakenham school-leaver who witnessed first-hand the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Nepal is calling on the local community for much-needed help.
Former Beaconhills College student Genevieve Polderman was one of the Australians who were volunteering in Nepal when the 7.8 earthquake hit on 25 April.
The earthquake struck just a day before Genevieve was due to return home from working at an orphanage in Kathmandu.
Genevieve, who was having a party with the children at the Bright Future Childrens’ Home at the time, recalled the life-changing moments when the earthquake struck.
“It went on for about a minute… I wasn’t so much scared as had a lot of adrenalin,” she said.
“We all saw things that no one should ever have to see or experience.”
She spent about three hours with the frightened kids in an open space, sleeping outside before battling the mass of people at the airport the next day as she tried to get on her flight out of the country.
“Having to leave my host family and the Bright Future Childrens’ Home was more heart-wrenching,” Genevieve said.
She said with 40,000 homes destroyed and more than 6000 people killed, donations are vital to help the Nepalese people, who were hit by a second quake on Tuesday.
Genevieve has launched a campaign to raise money to provide food, water and first aid supplies to villages nearest the epicentre.
Her Snipping for Nepal Appeal will see her cut 50 centimetres from her hair to raise $3000 for the cause.
Genevieve said the funds raised would be given to Sudip Koirala, the president of the Leo Lions Club Nepal and a member of her host family during her stay in Kathmandu.
She also plans to donate her hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to make wigs for cancer patients.
The snip will take place at Beaconhills College in Pakenham on Monday 25 May.
Genevieve, who graduated from Year 12 last year, decided to volunteer in Nepal as part of her gap year before studying International Studies at Deakin University.
Anyone who would like to donate can search Snipping for Nepal Appeal on the Youcaring website.
