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(July, 2015) UO leaders, scholars, community members create new scholarship for Nepal

 EUGENE, Oregon (July 13, 2015) – The Office of International Affairs (OIA) in collaboration with the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships at the University of Oregon have established a new full tuition scholarship for students from Nepal.

 The $30,000 award is intended to help a Nepalese student cover tuition costs at the UO. The scholarship can be awarded to either a graduate or undergraduate student, in a field of study that can enable the student to return home and contribute to the reconstruction needs of Nepal.
 
The scholarship comes as part of the UO response to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25 in Nepal that killed 8,800 people and left more than 23,000 injured. “Offering a scholarship to a student from Nepal is a very small demonstration of our commitment to the people of this country as they move forward,” said Roger Thompson, UO vice president for enrollment management.

 The devastation of Nepal has evoked a keen sense of regret for many in the community, as Eugene is a sister city to Kathmandu.

 The Eugene Kathmandu Sister City Association has existed since 1975. The association was initiated by UO Professor Emeritus of Education Hugh B. Wood, in large measure to provide educational opportunities to Nepalese students. In the wake of the earthquake, the association has been busy rallying support and raising funds for rebuilding efforts in Nepal.

 The UO Nepal Scholarship committee hopes to issue the first award to an incoming student starting fall 2016. Abe Schafermeyer, director of international student & scholar services will be leading the selection committee.

(August, 2015)  Nepal Earthquake Relief

In the spring of 2015, a series of earthquakes devastated Kathmandu and central Nepal. In response, the Association raised $30,000 for relief, all of which has gone to organizations and agencies that were on the ground and providing direct aid. Recipients were:

• Next Generation Nepal, a Eugene-based non-profit that protects displaced and at-risk children from human trafficking.
  
• The Gorkha Foundation, which flew emergency supplies to remote villages in Gorkha district, near the epicenter of the quake.
  
• Mountain Child, a non-profit that provides water purification equipment in Kathmandu and rural areas.
  
• The America Nepal Medical Foundation, an association of medical professionals (mostly Nepalese doctors) who provided immediate care to victims in the hardest-hit districts.
  
• Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), which is rebuilding schools in Gorkha district.
  
• Bhawishya, a company in Kathmandu that is collecting and distributing relief supplies, especially water purification systems.
  

Nepalese students at the University of Oregon organized a vigil on campus that was covered by local KEZI 9 TV news, the Eugene Register-Guard, and the Daily Emerald.