Six Bulgarians have decided to spend their Easter holidays in the Himalayas. Hristo, Metody, Kaloyan, Velina, Boyko and Milena left for Nepal and enjoyed two exciting weeks on the slopes of the world's highest mountain. Their trip began from the capital Katmandu and continued via Namche Bazaar, the hub of Sherpa. The group was back to Bulgaria on 20 April. Five days later a horrible earthquake at 7.8 on the Richter scale devastated Nepal.

The death toll in the quake reached 8000 and as many as 500,000 were left homeless. In some villages from 80 to 90% of houses and schools have been reduced to rubble. Close to 2 million children are in need of humanitarian aid in the worst-hit regions.

The Bulgarian group has organized a charity exhibition Together in Nepal mounted in the central lobby of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. It shows sixty photographs from Nepal in the eyes of the six Bulgarians. The photos are revealing and charged with emotion.

Metody Terziev, one of the exhibition's organizers and author of some of the photos tells us why the Bulgarian group decided to go for the charity event:

„We want to support the country that we visited 5 days before the earthquake. We want to help the people there because the impressions from Nepal are still powerful. In fact, while in Nepal we were mostly impressed by its people. This is a country where religion is important: Buddhism and Hinduism. The Nepali are absolutely stunning with their humility and calm, especially in the Himalayas. The Sherpa who are an ethnic group in Nepal also known as the mountain people are engaged in assisting expeditions. They are porters and guides. We had the chance of visiting two schools high in the mountain. People impressed us and have motivated us for the exhibition, especially Nepali children.”

Every visitor of the display is welcome to support the cause by donating cash or buying a photograph or card. An online platform has been set up for selection of photos. Receipts from the action will reach the children in Nepal via UNICEF Bulgaria and TeachForNepal.

Using donations UNICEF delivers drinking water purification tablets and life-saving rehydration salts. TeachForNepal is an NGO with the mission to provide equal access to quality education of every child in Nepal. The event is part of a week-long campaign in support of quake victims.

The exhibition Together in Nepal is an event inviting viewers to enjoy great views from a faraway world, get acquainted with a new and intriguing culture and above all help people in need.

English version Daniela Konstantinova