Jammu, Aug 29 : As Nepal grapples with the devastation caused by deadly flash floods, schoolchildren in Jammu have come together to offer prayers, express solidarity with the affected families and contribute towards relief efforts.
With prayers on their lips and concern in their hearts, the students of Shiksha Niketan and Dewan Devi Higher Secondary Schools gathered on their school grounds to pay tribute to those who lost their lives and remember families still awaiting news of missing loved ones.
At Shiksha Niketan Higher Secondary School, students and their parents also took part in a voluntary donation drive for flood relief, contributing whatever they could towards the effort.
“Nepal is our neighbouring country, and we stand with it,” Principal Rameshwar Mengi told PTI.
He said the initiative was aimed at teaching students that compassion should translate into action.
“We wanted to instil in the children a feeling that we should never hesitate to serve or help someone. The government is already providing assistance, but we also wanted to contribute,” Mengi said, adding that the response from students and their parents had surprised him.
For the children, the disaster was more than a distant headline.
Standing together on the school ground, many spoke of families in Nepal anxiously waiting for news of loved ones who remain missing.
Bhoomi, a student, said the devastation in Rasuwa and other affected areas had deeply moved her.
“So many people are missing, and many have lost their lives. I want to pray for the families who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still missing, whose families do not even know whether they are alive or dead,” she said.
Another student, Angel, appealed to other institutions and organisations to contribute towards relief efforts.
“I would also like to appeal to other institutions and organisations to contribute as much as they can and extend whatever help is possible to the people affected by the floods,” she said.
Shivansi Singh described those affected as “our brothers and sisters” and expressed solidarity with Nepal on behalf of her school.
“I am deeply saddened that so many of our brothers and sisters in Nepal have been swept away in such a devastating flood, and many have lost their lives. On behalf of Shiksha Niketan School, I stand with our neighbouring country, Nepal,” she said.
The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal reached 626 on Saturday, while nearly 2,000 people were still reported missing.
