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Gurkha Welfare Appeal (Canada) was a government registered charitable organization in operation between 1973 and 2004. GWA(C) was the Canadian branch of the Gurkha Welfare Trust, based in the United Kingdom.

History
The Gurkha Welfare Trust was established to provide for the welfare of retired Gurkha soldiers and their dependents living in poverty in Nepal. Gurkha soldiers, recruited in the hills of Nepal, have served the British Crown since 1815. The Gurkha brigades participated in both World Wars and countless military conflicts of the past two centuries and have been highly celebrated for their heroism and bravery.

GWA(C), which officially launched in January 1973, reoriented the aims of the scheme by helping not only the ex-servicemen and their families but also the broader communities in which the Gurkhas lived. The charity directed funds to improve the quality of life in the hill communities of Nepal. GWA(C) was funded by the Canadian Educational Development and Relief (CEDAR) programme of the Canadian International Development Administration (CIDA) and by private donations.

Between June 1975 and August 1989, GWA(C) built the following infrastructures in Nepal: 131 drinking water supply schemes; six suspension bridges; three irrigation canals; 22 outreach centres (or Area Welfare Centres), where ex-servicemen submitted applications for assistance and received pensions and primary medical care; 22 schools and hostel buildings; an ex-servicemen rest house; and a school for blind children. The GWA(C) also contributed to the international relief effort following the 1988 earthquake in Nepal.

The CEDAR programme closed on 1 July 1989 due to lack of funding. Afterwards, only a small project office was retained to perform repair, maintenance, and improvements of the Welfare Centres in Nepal. GWA(C) ceased to operate in Nepal in March 2003 and closed officially in 2004. The Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) assumed responsibility for the maintenance of the Welfare Centres.