The devastating disaster in Nepal has deeply affected me.
In the very week it happened, we had just started our largest production of the year in Nepal. This meant that we were already in constant contact with our workshops and teams when the news reached us.
For the first days, my main concern was simply to know that everyone was safe. Our teams were, of course, deeply shocked by what had happened in their country, and we stayed in very close contact throughout those days.
I am incredibly relieved to say that everyone in our teams is safe. No one was injured or reported missing, and as far as we know, none of their immediate family members were harmed.
What happened was initially widely described as flooding. We now know that the disaster began high in the Himalayas with a massive collapse involving rock and glacial ice. Huge masses of rock, ice and debris rushed down the mountain and developed into a devastating debris avalanche, gathering further material and water on its way through the valley.
The scale of what happened is difficult to comprehend.
Nepal has been an important part of my work and my life for many years. I have been travelling there regularly since 2013, developing my collections together with local craftspeople and building relationships that have grown far beyond production. I know many of the people I work with, their families and their communities personally.
Seeing Nepal once again confronted with the devastating force of a natural disaster is heartbreaking. The country and the people I know there have shown incredible resilience through so many difficult moments – but that does not make the shock and pain of another disaster any less profound.
We remain in close contact with our teams, workshops and friends in Nepal.
If you would like to understand more
For anyone who would like to understand what happened and how an event of this scale could develop, I would like to share two sources that explain the geological background in a clear and factual way.
Hydrogeomorphologist Christoff Andermann explains the sequence of events and the geological processes behind the disaster in an interview with DIE ZEIT:
Read the interview with Christoff Andermann in DIE ZEIT
For those who prefer a visual explanation, this video gives a detailed and factual account of what happened:
Watch the video explanation on YouTube
If you would like to help
Several of you have asked me how you can support the people affected. Thank you.
My personal recommendation is to donate as directly to Nepal as possible.
After many years of working in the country, I personally prefer direct, locally rooted support over donating through large international aid structures. It is important to me to know where support goes and, whenever possible, that it reaches organisations and people working directly on the ground.
One option is to donate directly to Nepal’s Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund:
International bank transfer in USD
Beneficiary: PM DAIBI PRAKOP UDAR KOSH
Account Number (USD): 01905631210046
Bank: Himalayan Bank Limited
Branch: Kamaladi Branch
Branch Address: Kamaladi, Kathmandu, Nepal
SWIFT: HIMANPKA / HIMANPKAXXX
Beneficiary Address:
Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
Singha Durbar
Kathmandu 44600
Nepal
Another option is the Women’s Foundation Nepal. I have personally worked with the organisation and know the people behind it, which is why I feel comfortable recommending them from my own experience.
Or donate through me
If an international transfer to Nepal is complicated, I am also collecting donations in Switzerland and will transfer the full amount collected directly to Nepal on the last day of each month over the coming months.
If you would like to contribute this way, you can simply make a bank transfer to the account below. Please use “Donation Nepal” as the payment reference so I can clearly separate all donations from other payments.
Bank: PostFinance AG
Account holder: Felix Sebastian Doll
IBAN: CH22 0900 0000 6117 5333 6
BIC/SWIFT: POFICHBEXXX
Reference: Donation Nepal
Every contribution received with this reference will be collected and forwarded at the end of the respective month.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out, sent messages and thought of our teams during these difficult days. Every contribution, no matter the amount, can make a difference.
My thoughts are with everyone affected, their families and the communities facing the weeks and months ahead.
With love from Zurich to Nepal,
Felix Doll
