LOCAL HEROES
Words Tom Bradshaw
ROGER ALLSOPP
G
uernsey has a lasting legacy in the rebuilding of Nepal thanks to aid work on the ground by a local charity and the generosity of thousands of islanders donating funds. Moments after the devastating earthquake hit the Himalayan country in late April, local humanitarian Sarah Griffith started thinking about how Guernsey could assist the international aid efforts.
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DAVE MATHESON
SARAH GRIFFITH
OLLY WESTGARTH
SAM JAMES
a little part of Nepal in a very positive way which will do justice to the money which has been so generously donated,’ said Sarah.
wrong. We now know that there is a severe lack of medical supplies so what we took over is like gold dust.’
Her team, which included retired surgeon Roger Allsopp, restaurateur Dave Matheson and architect Olly Westgarth, spent two weeks in the country, dedicating most of its time to providing medical aid in a small village outside Kathmandu. They slept rough and worked out of a makeshift clinic, using supplies brought over from Guernsey.
The behaviour of many journalists, especially the paparazzi, also deeply shocked and dismayed Sarah and her team.
Just a few days later, following an outpouring of local support, she was in a position to travel to Nepal to help.
Sarah’s charity Bridge2 has also committed to providing ongoing support to Dadagaun Children’s Home, where Guernsey-raised funds will help rebuild and develop the orphanage.
With lots of experience in delivering aid to developing countries in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, Sarah put together a highly effective team to take with her.
‘I am really pleased with what we achieved and that we left Nepal with a legacy to support. But it’s such a desperately sad situation as hundreds of years of culture and heritage is just gone.’
With more than £120,000 raised by the Guernsey community in a matter of weeks, contributors can be confident that the donations have been put to great use.
Sarah was also saddened by the lack of acknowledgement by the authorities and some of the bigger charities as to where assistance was needed.
‘We can’t save the world, but we can help
‘The government is saying that there is no need for any medical aid, but that is so
‘People were dying under rubble while the media was scrambling on top of them to get their photos. They were clearly driven by the greed of getting the most dramatic images to sell at the highest price. That was sickening to see.’ The country was hit by a devastating earthquake on Saturday 25 April, killing more than 8,800 people and injuring 23,000. Sarah heard the news at 11pm that night. ‘As soon as I hear something like that I go into obsessive mode and want to find out everything I can about it. I went onto the Reuters website and spent all night tracking it.’ Soon after the earthquake, she was contacted via social media by an acquaintance who was living in Nepal, desperately seeking her advice. ‘She was terrified and asking me what to do. I talked her through the next 12 hours, GUERNSEY’S STYLE MAGAZINE