From bank queues to QR codes: Flood-hit Nepal’s digital shift in philanthropy

KATHMANDU: Once, donating to government relief funds in Nepal meant carrying cash, finding a bank and standing in a queue.

Now, for many, it takes just a phone, a few taps and a QR code scan.

For guitarist Bobby Lama of the band Mongolian Heart, the change was personal.

During the 2015 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, Lama joined rescue and relief efforts, carrying cash himself to communities in need.

The hassle of going to a bank meant he never considered donating to a government relief fund.