A Flood of GoFundMe Campaigns in the Name of the Gen-Z Movement: Are They Being Used Well?

Kathmandu: On 8 September, young people planned to gather at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu for what would later become the Gen-Z movement. Discussions revolved around who would lead, what demands would be raised, how to demonstrate, and how to prevent unrelated parties from taking advantage of the protest. Yet, one key issue received little attention, finances.

On Reddit, participants discussed calling the movement “leaderless” since it had no formal leadership, and “faceless” as it had started secretly on social media. Pamphlets and flags were to be brought individually, not through organized fundraising. Representatives of a group called Hami Nepal were only seen from the second day.

But while the protests are still unfolding, dozens of donation drives have already appeared on GoFundMe. Searching for Nepal’s “Gen-Z protest” on the platform shows a flood of campaigns, many launched by Nepalis abroad.

These fundraising efforts claim to support causes such as medical treatment for injured protesters, relief for families of the deceased, and rebuilding infrastructure. During the crackdown from 8 and 9 September, 19 people were killed on the first day alone, with hundreds injured. On the second day, both protesters and police lost their lives. According to police figures, more than 70 people have died so far.

Several campaigns and their progress include:

• Manish Upadhyay – Relief for victims’ families and medical treatment for the injured. Target: $8,000. Raised: $6,300.

• Tenzing Si Gurung – Support for families of the deceased. Target: $5,500. Raised: $535.

• David Strout Gode (London) – Aid for the injured. Target: £2,600. Raised: £25.

• Roshan Rai – Target: $40,000. Raised: $250.

• Maya Foundation – Emergency aid. Target: £2,000. Raised: £1,126.

• United Nepalese Association – Support for families. Target: $101,000. Raised: $25,304.

• Bishnu Mishra – “Rebuild Nepal.” Target: $9,000. Raised: $370.

• Vijay Sapkota and team – Medicine and emergency aid. Target: €50,000. Raised: €3,801.

• Nepalese Business Directory – Aid for victims. Target: £16,000. Raised: £14,862.

• Amrit Aryal – Support for victims’ families. Target: $10,000. Raised: $2,171.

• Julian Victoriano – Support for protests. Target: $11,000. Raised: $47.

• Robin Rana – Target: £5,500. Raised: £305.

• Sobit Sharma – £318 raised.

• Hari Gautam – £706 raised.

• Ishan Maratha and team – £4,471 raised.

• Abhiyan Chhetri – $53,573 raised.

• Gen-Z Nepal – €35 raised.

• Shanti Shrestha – £155 raised.

• Dipendra Silwal – £175 raised.

• Lakshya Yadav – £133 raised.

• Sarju Neupane – £845 raised.

• Abhash Bomjan – Target: £460,000. Raised: £340,037.

• Rinji Sherpa – $1,666 raised.

• Nepalese Student Association – $1,065 raised.

• Pravesh Ghimire – $392 raised.

• Yarsa Van Football Club – 988 CAD raised.

• Bishal Giri – $359 raised.

In total, fundraising has been carried out individually, collectively, and institutionally. Nepali students, diaspora groups, and even some foreign nationals have launched campaigns. Some organizers provide updates through Instagram, explaining who will receive the money and how it will be used. However, many others offer little to no transparency.

This lack of clarity raises questions. How will individual organizers reach victims and bereaved families? Some claim they will distribute funds through non-profit organizations inside Nepal, but details remain vague.

Concerns about misuse also persist. There have been cases globally where funds raised by prominent figures on online platforms were embezzled. While not all organizers are suspected of wrongdoing, the sheer number of uncoordinated campaigns, along with poor communication, has fueled doubt.

As money continues to pour in under the Gen-Z name, the biggest challenge may not be raising funds but ensuring accountability and transparency in how they are used.

 

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असोज १, २०८२ ११:४६

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