People of both nations support each other’s early nation-building and post-quake rebuilding
(above) A one-minute silent prayer in commemoration of those who have perished from the destructive Gorkha earthquake led by inter-faith leaders, along with Hotel Annapurna’s Executive Director Mrs Shreejana Rana and CCF’s Chairman Lim Choo Leng.
Monday, 25 April, Kathmandu – Singapore’s Corporate Citizen Foundation (CCF) and local hospitality giant, Hotel Annapurna, once again joined hands, but this time to hold an observance ceremony to remember those who perished and survivors who lost their loved ones and homes in the massive Gorkha earthquake of 2015.
During the emergency relief phase last year, CCF and Hotel Annapurna had established a potable water distribution network for affected communities and aid workers within Kathmandu City and its outskirts. Hotel Annapurna had provided the water source which was treated by Singaporean manual-powered treatment systems, and thereafter distributed in numerous large water tanks to various parts of Kathmandu.
In her welcome note, Hotel Annapurna’s Executive Director Ms Shreejana Rana shared, “Our spirits remain unbroken, and one of the major reasons is the immediate help that we received not just from fellow citizens internally but from the international community as well. The Corporate Citizen Foundation (CCF) and Hotel Annapurna collaborated last year to provide pure drinking water to the victims and the rescue team members immediately after the quake. Water purifiers brought in by the CCF team from Singapore were used in the water provided by Hotel Annapurna to prevent and avoid the break of a secondary disaster in the form of an epidemic. For two weeks, the CCF team distributed drinking water daily in the outskirts of Kathmandu as well as to the rescue workers around town.”
Hotel Annapurna’s Executive Director Mrs Shreejana Rana, highlighted in her welcome note how the joint efforts with CCF stand as a good example on how public and private stakeholders can work together effectively to provide aid to the needy.
Both Hotel Annapurna and CCF exemplify the Corporate Social Responsibility and Preparedness towards Natural disaster to the core. We cannot bring back lost lives but surely, we can give hope & assurance, and help rehabilitate the victims to get back on their feet through joint corporate collaborations within the country. CCF have not only extended immediate and accurate help during crisis but have left us to think how efficiently public and private stakeholders could bring in immediate, sustainable development and rehabilitation.”
Mr Lim Choo Leng, Chairman of CCF, stated in his address, “Nepal is close to many Singaporean hearts. The Gurkhas played a significant part in Singapore’s national security during our early years of nation-building. It is now our turn to return that gesture of goodwill and support for your post-quake rebuilding efforts.”
(left) CCF’s Chairman Lim Choo Leng extended his gratitude to the various organisations whose contributions were essential in extending critical aid to the affected communities during the acute phase of the Gorkha quake last year.
(right) Along with various senior faith leaders and corporate partners, the recently crowned Miss Nepals were among the guests at the observance ceremony.
The simple yet significant observance, hosted and underwritten by Hotel Annapurna, was joined by corporate partners and leaders of various faiths from Nepal and Singapore, who led a 1-minute silent prayer for those who have passed on, and for renewed strength and courage for those who continue to rebuild their lives.
Mr Lim further shared, “We have our own families and loved ones, and we understand how it is like to lose those who are dear to us. However, we may not be able to feel how it was like for those who were hoping against massive odds back then, for their loved ones to be rescued alive from the mountains of rubbles. And we probably would not have a clue as to how it would feel, to carry on with life without a proper closure where their loved ones could not be found.”
Corporate volunteers from Singapore’s HSL Constructor, the founding partner of CCF, who are in Nepal to help with the completion of the reconstruction of an orphanage at Sangla Tokha, were part of about 50 corporate guests who observed the occasion.
(from left) Abhinav Rana, Harbans Singh, Rev Dr Gunaratna, HE WM Senevirathna, Hotel Annapurna’s Executive Director Ms Shreejana Rana, CCF’s Chairman Lim Choo Leng, Dr Madan Piya, Sneh Gupta, Jaafar Ma and Swami from Nepal.
ABOUT CCF
The Corporate Citizen Foundation (CCF) was officially launched by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in October 2014. It seeks to be the catalyst for proactive and constructive corporate collaboration for a better, safer and friendlier Asia. Initiated and seed-funded by HSL Constructor, the CCF is a private sector initiative to pull and pool together appropriate corporate assets to help improve the capacity and resilience of vulnerable communities in Asia, through sustainable livelihood programmes including disaster preparedness and response.
The CCF had established the Swift Emergency Evaluation Deployment (SEED), as its first responders for early access into and appropriate intervention at disaster-affected areas. SEED is simultaneously tasked to evaluate and disseminate first-hand information to incoming aid responders for more informed strategic decisions. Hence, the SEED’s slogan – Bridging the First Mile. SEED’s pioneer partners include the Pacific Flight Services of ST Aerospace (aerospace); Channel NewsAsia of MediaCorp (broadcast communications); Golden Season (water) and HSL Constructor (engineering).
Since inception, the CCF and SEED have responded to super typhoon Hagupit in Philippines (Dec ‘14); Kelantan floods in Malaysia (Dec ’14), Gorkha earthquake in Nepal (Apr ‘15) and Chennai floods in India (Nov ’15).
ABOUT HOTEL ANNAPURNA
Established in 1965, Hotel Annapurna is proud to be an intrinsic part of Nepal’s heritage. The first 5-star hotel in the country, the Annapurna completes its 50th Anniversary this year. We are privileged to have served generations who continue to return for our time-honoured service, where no guest is a stranger. Now we look forward to the future, committed to offering our guests a memorable experience, continuing to serve with warmth and empathy to all.
Named after the Goddess Annapurna, the Goddess of plenty, this 5.5 acre haven in the heart of Kathmandu offers both comfort and convenience, making it the ultimate address for both leisure and business travelers. The hotel promises the finest accommodation and services to complement its varied facilities: from fine dining outlets, extensive banquet and conferencing facilities, to recreational pursuits.
