Hundreds of Christians ended an annual 40-day prayer campaign yesterday for a better and brighter future for the country.

Closing ceremonies took place at the Jesuit run St. Xavier’s School in Kathmandu.

Amidst lively songs and biblical exhortations, youths and clergy highlighted some of the specific things they had prayed for including women’s rights and an end to drug abuse and child labor, as well as protection for Christians.

Chief coordinator Pastor Bhab Ghale said the event had been a success and that all funds raised through the course of the event came from local donations from participants in a motorbike rally, a river rafting prayer event and mountain top prayer vigils.

Pastor Bishnu Khanal, who led a 10-day motorcycle rally involving dozens of bikes (May 15-24), said they covered 37 towns in 28 of Nepal’s 75 districts.

The prayer campaign which began on May 4 comes as Nepal struggles to write a new constitution. During the campaign a deal was struck to extend parliament’s term for another three months to try and end the impasse.

Khanal urged people to pray against efforts by various groups trying to introduce laws such as banning conversions from one religion to another.

“This 40-day prayer campaign may have ended today but we call upon you to gather in churches and keep praying until we have a new constitution spelling out our rights fairly,” he said.