According to Tenzin Choedak, one of the volunteers in the team of monks of Janchub Choeling Monastery on behalf of the Shangpa Foundation, people have appreciated their effort. “We are equipped with traditional Chinese medicine and thought we should make the best use of it,” he said.

Choedak said they have a wide assortment of ointments, which ease the survivors’ muscle pain.  Whenever visiting the earthquake-hit areas, the team focuses on older citizens who are suffering from orthopedic discomfort.  Another important medicine is ‘Ai ju’, which increases immunity. Choedek says they have been administering this herb to a number of people by boiling the contents in hot water.

In the last few weeks, the team has distributed 500 tarpaulins, 200 blankets, rice, daal, oil, salt and mosquito nets in Sankhu and Dolakha. They have also built two shelters in Sankhu. The volunteers have reached different villages in almost all of the affected districts.  

The Shangpa Foundation is a non-profit organisation in Nepal that promotes the teachings of the Buddha and provides educational resources and healthcare assistance to individuals living in the country’s remote areas. It was founded in 1996 by Shangpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan spiritual leader. In Pokhara last week, the foundation, along with the Bodhichitti trust, raised Rs 500,000 and donated it to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund. According to Choedak, the fund was collected from the organisation’s branch in Malaysia.  With the money, the foundation will now be deploying different teams to purchase the required relief supplies from Kathmandu and India.