(1/2) Steve Beatty survived the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015- over 8,000 Nepalese did not. This event changed his life forever. ‘In 2012 I trekked in Nepal with my daughter and fell in love with the place. I returned many times. Last year I was back there with my guide who is a friend, almost at basecamp on Everest, when we had to turn around due to poor weather and visibility. That was when the earthquake struck. I couldn’t believe what was happening. At first I thought perhaps I had altitude sickness but then realised there was an avalanche crashing down to our right and another one to our left. It was a miracle that we survived.
We returned to the lodge and by the following morning it had turned into a triage site. My friend and I went to work carrying the injured from helicopters to safety and helping to treat them. Most I thought were dead but then I’d hear a moan or see a slight movement.
I put out a shout for help on Facebook and donations came flooding in. Luckily over the years I had made friends with influential people in Nepal and I was able to get things done. It all started from there. It was a life-changing experience.
My cause is called We All Rotate because there is one earth and, simply, we are not that different. It is in the process of becoming a registered charity so that donations can be tax-deductable.
I love standing beside the people of Nepal, supporting them and empowering them. I look on the people there as friends and neighbours.
Nepal is an amazing place with amazing people. It gets under your skin. I love trekking- the landscape is breathtaking- but it is the people that make it special. It is locked between two powerhouses, China and India, with poor Nepal stuck in the middle. These easy-going, kind-hearted people are becoming aware of what they are missing out on.
When people donate to We All Rotate www.facebook.com/weallrotate/ they get to see where their money is going. They see photos of me next to the kids they are sponsoring and they see me walking to school with them and going to parent-teacher interviews. Because the money goes straight to the cause it has a quick impact. We All Rotate wants to keep that personal touch.
HuG 