India: Request to help a volunteer in Bangalore

This request comes to us from Bala via email:

Hi, Its now almost three weeks since Tsunami happened. And after the initial round of helping out with clothes & vessels, its time to put out a fresh appeal.

My friend Deepak, who along with 18 of his friends mobilised themselves and went to Nagapattinam that very Sunday, had taken clothes, vessels and food packets in the first round. But after three more visits to the affected villages, they find that the list needs to be updated.

This time they DO NOT need clothes or vessels. In fact, they have met the district officials and a friend who is a professor at Karaikal college (Pondicherry) and with local help, have come up with some exact numbers. Instead, they plan to sponsor one pump stove per family. They need 7000-7500 of such units. (The other need is fishing net to sustain livelihood but that's something the Government plans to take care of.) Each pump stove here in the Bangalore wholesale market works out to be Rs 125 per piece.

So if you think you can sponsor one pump stove or a set of stoves that they will personally hand over to the families, do get in touch with Deepak at 98450 35560. You can buy them yourself and hand them over to him or if you are free, you may accompany the group when they go one of these days and buy them. (Deepak also plans to keep the bills intact just in case a donor wishes to see them). Also more importantly, they need volunteers who can help. They leave for Nagapattinam over this weekend and the more the hands, the better (He mentioned that everything there is razed to the ground and there is lots of work which may take months to get done).

So whether you wish to help with cash or a helping hand or both, you could call him on his cell or at his own office at 26609402 (Ed: Bangalore Number)

Take your pick.
regds,

Vasanthi