June 2021 – Nepal Seattle Society

Our lives have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic started. In this video, we talked to our community members from different walks of life and listened to their struggles, fears, and hopes with the onset of the COVID-19 vaccines. We also talked to some health professionals about the effect of COVID-19 vaccines, how it affects us, and what we should do even after being vaccinated.

Namaste,

This past year has been hard, to say the least. We have been told to be cautious and to wear masks, keeping ourselves six feet away from people, and for a social community like ours, this has been even harder.

The pandemic has brought adversities such as unemployment, delay in education, loss of businesses, and for some of us the loss of our loved ones.

We have had to live in fear thinking about how we might contract the COVID-19 virus. The cloud of mixed emotions of frustration and uncertainty have made our lives difficult. Some of us have been severely affected by this pandemic and have contracted the COVID-19 virus. Yet, we as a community have stayed strong and have persevered.

We became hopeful again when we became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. For us, the vaccine has become our hope of survival, the hope of finally being with our loved ones, the hope of getting back to our businesses, and the happiness of resuming our somewhat normal lives.

Slowly, businesses have started to remove their “CLOSED” signs from their front door and schools are starting to reopen.

Most of us have been vaccinated now and we’ve noticed that things are starting to resume. Now, we have faith that things may get better.

Although the fear of getting the COVID-19 virus has subsided, we still must continue to take precautions. All of us are still not vaccinated. Therefore, we urge you to be proactive as prevention is better than cure! You are not alone in this and we are here to help you.

Together, we can be a healthy, thriving community.

If you or someone you know have any questions about the COVID-19 and/or COVID-19 vaccine, please contact us at [email protected]. We will reach out to our Nepali health professionals and try to get an answer to you at our best capacity.

Dhanyabaad,
Health Committee,
Nepal Seattle Society

By Shubhechha Shakya | Tuesday. June 15th, 2021

After a long behind the scene preparation happening since November 2020 the day was finally here! Nepal Seattle Society and Seattle Football club were able to welcome our Nepalese youth to its inaugural soccer camp at Woodinville Sports Fields. This camp is designed for kids between the ages of 5 to 16. The camp will run for 14 sessions, every Sunday from 9-11 am PST through September 5th, 2021. A whopping 46 kids from our community have already signed up for this event!

Parents could be seen observing training and socializing on the side lines.

Our first-day turnout was quite impressive. A total of 33 kids participated alongside their parents. A tent was set up for the parents to check in on their campers and to complete the required waiver forms. Once the campers started to settle in, Anish Thapa (NSS Sports Committee Member) welcomed the parents and campers with a short introductory speech. The campers were organized into four different groups and assigned their respective coaches as follows:

Group 1: Sagarmatha (Age: 5-7 – Girls): Coach: Sophie Reingold, Rabi Tamrakar

Group 2: Dhaulagiri (Age: 5-7 – Boys): Coach: Lhakpa Sherpa

Group 3: Annapurna (Age: 8-11): Coach: Aditya Chhetri, Pemba Sherpa, Sabin Gurung

Group 4: Macchapuchhre (Age: 12-16): Coach: Prabat Limbu, Nabin KC, Suresh Pun

Another of our committee members/coach, Pramoj Adhikari, was seen assisting the coaches with setting up the equipment and coordinating the events. Most of our coaches have been trained from the US Soccer Learning Center and are certified as grassroots coaches. Three other coaches (Surya Lama Tamang, Sachin Gurung, and Bhim Thapa) will be joining us as the camp progresses.

Parents assisting with equipment setup .

The campers were full of enthusiasm and high energy as they could be seen excitedly participating in their drills and challenges. Even the soccer dads got into their action on the adjacent field participating in an impromptu 8v8 match! Other parents could be seen observing the training and were socializing on the sidelines. It was easy to notice how relieved people were to be outside on this typical Pacific NorthWest cool and calm morning especially after a long COVID lethargy now followed by the summer vacation.

It was well organized. Have not been to any soccer training. However, it felt like you guys managed well. We were excited to see kids enjoying themselves. They did not want to come home even after the training was over. Excited to see them on the field every Sunday :),
Feedback from one of the parents, Mr. Sanjay.

Thanks to the hard work and coordination of all of our volunteering coaches and committee members, we got to see the smiling faces of kids and the gratitude of their parents.