In September 2026, massive floods and landslides struck Nepal, causing devastating damage.
To offer support to those affected and to share her prayers for a swift recovery, Yogmata Keiko Aikawa visited Nepal on September 15 and 16. Yogmata traveled from Japan and her disciples from India to be with the people there, bringing relief supplies, words of comfort for those affected, and prayers for the recovery of the region.
We offer our heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives, and our deepest sympathy to everyone affected by this disaster.
September 15: Donation Presented to the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Yogmata visited the headquarters of the Ministry of Finance in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, the government complex that houses Nepal’s ministries. There she met Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, and presented a donation of approximately US$65,000 (10 million yen) for disaster relief.
Dr. Wagle is an economist who has served as Chief Economist for the Asia-Pacific region at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and as Vice-Chair of Nepal’s National Planning Commission. In the wake of this large-scale disaster, he is leading negotiations with neighboring countries and the international community to secure support for climate action and recovery.
September 16: Visiting an Elementary School Serving as an Evacuation Shelter
About four hours by car from Kathmandu, Yogmata visited Shree United School in Nuwakot District, which is sheltering people displaced by the disaster.
Relief supplies, including food, blankets, and medical supplies, had been delivered a few days earlier in two 2-ton trucks, and a third truckload arrived with this visit. Yogmata spent time with the people staying at the shelter.
Many there are still waiting for news of family members and friends who were caught in the disaster and remain missing. Entire homes and towns were swept away, and many people were on the verge of losing hope. Yogmata offered them words of comfort and prayed with them.
Prayers at the Disaster Site
At the disaster site, about 30 minutes by car from the shelter, a dam had burst and a hydroelectric power station still lay buried under debris. A three-story building had been engulfed by mud, showing just how much earth and debris had swept through the area.
More than 10,000 people are still reported missing. The town is said to have been swallowed up within about ten minutes of the disaster striking, leaving no time to escape.
Yogmata prayed for the peaceful rest of the souls of those who lost their lives, and for the swift recovery of the affected areas.
