BySandy Rashty, Sandy Rashty
1 min read
BySandy Rashty, Sandy Rashty
When the first earthquake shook Nepal, Jonty Hikmet was on a trek in the Himalayan Tsum Valley."It was really scary," recalled the 25-year-old former JFS pupil, who had been travelling around the region, delivering key supplies and giving massages in local villages.
"A group of 20 of us were walking when the ground started shaking intensely. From the mountain to the left of us, we heard a big bang that sounded like missiles. Huge rocks, the size of cars, started falling down the mountain. I looked over at our guide - he was petrified."
Then Mr Hikmet came across another guide, Dhawa Gyanjen Tsumba, who he credits with caring for the group for eight days while they waited for helicopters from the American embassy to come to their aid.
Now back in Edgware, Mr Hikmet wants to raise funds for Mr Tsumba so he can continue to help locals in Tsum Valley after a second earthquake struck on Tuesday.
He described the guide as "Captain Fantastic. We stayed at his father's hostel. He told us he had plenty of food and water - but we found out that he only had supplies for another two days. We were eating dal bhat, a rice and lentil stew.
"This is a dude that we trust. He has since been going back and forth, dropping supplies."
Mr Hikmet, who manages a vegetarian café in Soho, added: "There is need for immediate relief. I want to raise money for Dhawa, so he can direct it to where it needs to go."