THE small Nepalese community in Port Stephens is reeling from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake which killed more than 7000 people and decimated its capital, Kathmandu.
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Indra Awal, who lives in Raymond Terrace with his wife Melissa and two children Avani, 10, and Kobi, 8, left his native Nepal more than 11 years ago for a life in Australia.
He said that almost everyone he knows has been affected by the devastation.
"There are between 30 and 40 people [originally from Nepal] living in Port Stephens, and most of them, like me, work at the Shoal Bay resort," Mr Awal said.
"Many of the people that I have spoken to have lost a family relative or friend or have had their homes damaged in some way.
"My mother's home has virtually been destroyed. She lives in a town called Bhaktapur, about 10km from the city of Kathmandu."
Despite the losses, Mr Awal said he considered himself and his family fortunate. Ten days before the April 25 earthquake Mr Awal and his family had been holidaying in his homeland.
"My mother had been living with us in Raymond Terrace for the previous 12 months ... she was home just 10 days when the earthquake hit," he said.
"We had flown there with some neighbours and were lucky we left [before the earthquake hit]."
To help rebuild his mother's home the Awal family has set up a campaign with any excess funds to be distributed to the people of Bhaktapur.
You can donate at GoFundMe.com/helpindrasfamily.
