Dubai-based Nepali bus driver gives up home trip to support flood victims

Dubai: A Dubai-based Nepali expatriate has given up her long-awaited trip home and donated the money she had saved for her air ticket to help people affected by the devastating floods in Nepal.

Shanti Kumari Bhandari, 43, has been planning to travel to Nepal this year during Dashain and Tihar, two major festivals that are deeply important to Nepalis living abroad. She has not returned to Nepal since 2021 because of her work as a double decker tourist bus driver in the UAE.

However, after seeing videos and updates about the destruction caused by the floods, Bhandari has decided that she would use the money she saved for her journey to support flood victims instead.

“I decided not to travel home this time and instead use the money I had set aside for my air ticket to help flood victims,” Bhandari told Gulf News.

She has immediately donated to the Nepal Prime Minister’s relief account and committed that she would continue to support people affected by the disaster in whatever way she could.

‘I cried throughout the day’

Bhandari has noted that she was deeply affected by reports of families losing loved ones, homes, lands, and livelihoods in the floods.

Although her home is not in Trishuli or Nuwakot, which have been among the areas affected by the disaster, she felt a strong personal connection to those suffering.

“What I saw was heartbreaking. Families losing their loved ones. People losing their homes, their land, and everything they had worked for. Entire lives being changed in a matter of hours. I cried throughout the day. My eyes simply would not dry,” recalled Bhandari.

After hearing about the floods, she has begun calling her family and closely following videos and updates from Nepal.

“I do not want to simply sit and watch the suffering from afar. I will continue to help in whatever way I can, for as long as I can.”

Homecoming will have to wait

Bhandari has been looking forward to returning to Nepal during Dashain and Tihar. For many Nepalis living overseas, the festivals have been an important time to reunite with family and return to their communities.

Bhandari, however, has made a choice that helping people affected by the floods was more important than making the journey this year.

She believes that Nepalis living in different parts of the world remain connected to one another, particularly during times of crisis.

“Wherever Nepalis live around the world, we remain one family. At a time like this, each of us should contribute whatever we can, according to our ability,” shared Bhandari.

Her son also wanted to help

Bhandari’s decision to donate her travel savings has been followed by an unexpected gesture from her 14-year-old son. He has sent his mother a message telling her that he wanted to donate money to flood victims.

“I asked him, ‘You are still studying and you don’t earn money. How will you donate?’” stated Bhandari.

The boy then told her that he has been saving the pocket money she normally gave him for lunch at school. He has also started using public transportation so that he could save money. Sometimes he even ate less so that he could put more money aside.

He has eventually saved NPR 1,200, which was around Dh29, according to Bhandari.

“For me, that Dh29 is worth far more than its monetary value. It represents compassion. It represents humanity. And as a mother, it is one of the proudest moments of my life.”

A life built in the UAE

In addition, Bhandari has expressed her gratitude to the UAE, which has been her second home for 11 years, for supporting Nepal during the difficult period.

“I am deeply grateful to the UAE, my second home, for standing beside Nepal during this difficult time. The generosity and support extended by the UAE towards Nepal means a great deal to Nepalis living here,” exclaimed Bhandari.

Meanwhile, Bhandari has acknowledged that giving up her planned trip would mean waiting longer to see her family, but said the circumstances required her to put the needs of those affected first.

“I may be thousands of kilometres away from Nepal, but my heart remains there. Nepal is not just the country where I was born. Nepal is part of who I am. And whenever my people need me, I will stand with them.”