Gujarat Earthquake Relief
— An Appeal

Smt. Chanchalbahen Manilal & Manilal Kushalchand Shah Charitable Trust

We are making an appeal for help for the victims and survivors of Gujarat Earthquake. We are giving brief proposal of our plans and a brief background of the trust. Some work already done is also narrated.

1. NEED
   In Gujarat, the held can be at three levels:
    
   1. Immediate relief —
      Survivors from the earthquake need food, clothing, and blankets. They need medicines and other medical treatments. Probably, 25% of Gujarat population i.e., about one crore people may be sleeping outside on the roads. They need protection against the cold climate.
       
   2. Rehabilitation —
      Several villages, towns and cities have been destroyed. While the worst damage has occurred in Bhuj and Ahmedabad, several other places have suffered similar damage. Re-construction of the entire infrastructure and houses will take a long time and require huge resource. Whatever help may be received from the International bodies as well as Central Governments and other State Government and Institutions is going to be short of the needs of Gujarat.
       
   3. Mid-term relief —
      Re-building the houses may take several months or even years. Till then people have to live. They need some good temporary arrangements. This could be tents or other constructions of asbestos sheets or similar material. Assuming that re-construction takes one year, it would mean that the victims will have to stay in these temporary shelters through the next monsoon. The shelters should be capable of protecting them from rains.
       
      Lakhs of people living in temporary shelters would still require water, toilets and drainage facilities.
       
      And while all these things are going on, they have to start their business and other earning activities.
       
      The problems are gigantic.
       
      We do not know how we can cope up with the problem.
       
      However, we do know the following:
       
2. Proposal
   We will contact architects, civil engineers and experts in earthquake relief work. We will adopt a family, a stree or a village depending upon the financial resources collected. We will prepare in principle plans for everything. However, all these plans will presented before the survivors. They will decide the final plans. We will only help them in fulfilling their own plans.
    
   If an entire village has been flattened, it is possible to clear the debris, prepare entirely new plans for re-construction. There can be wider roads, open spaces, larger areas for schools, hospitals and temples and so on. We can try and create model villages.
    
   In large cities multi-storeyed towers have been destroyed. Prima facie, the residents of such towers are from the upper middle class or rich sections of the society. We have no idea how to help them. Probably, our funds will be reserved for the poorest. Other sections may be given immediate relief and advisory services. Finance and other resources may be reserved for the poorest of the victims.
    
   We need your help. We need all the contributions that your can give.
    
   The volunteers of the trust will visit Gujarat, make personal assessments and give reports of requirements as well as progress in the work. All the expenses of their travel, communication etc., will be borne by themselves. Donations received will be utilised 100% for the earthquake relief work. 
   
3. Work Done
   The volunteers of the trust have collected materials and already sent two trucks to Gujarat.
    
   1. The first truck went to Thangadh in Surendra Nagar district. It carried the following materials:
      1. 1,500 blankets;
      2. 3,000 sweaters'
      3. Seven stretchers;
      4. One hundred pairs of wooden supports;
      5. About 6,000, second-hand garments (T-Shirts and half pants.)

      This material was contributed by Shri Dineshbhai Shah of M/s. Goodwill Builders and Shri Dharmendrabhai Shah of Rasik Nivas, Marine Drive.
       
      This truck went to Thangadh. Shri Ramjibhai Maru of M/s. Sunrise Potteries arranged for volunteers and tempos. They will go around to village affected by the earthquake mainly in Morbi area. They will distribute the material to the victims.
       
      Shri Ramjibhai has already opened up kitchens. He gets large quantities of food packets prepared and distributes the same in the villages.
       

   2. The second truck has gone to Limbi in Surendra Nagar district. Shri Balbhadra Sinh Rana and his term team of volunteers will distribute the material to the victims of earthquake.
      The second truck contained following materials:
      1. 500 kg. of tarpaulins (approximately 150 numbers.)
      2. 1,100 kg. of sweaters (approximately 3,000 numbers.)
      3. 200 Blankets (contributed by Mr. Soli Doctor.)

      The following volunteers have collected donations and spent money on purchasing the above material:
       
      Shri Hiten Shah (C.A.),
      Shri Mayur Nayak (C.A.),
      Shri Neena Kapasi (C.A.),
      Shri Naresh Ajwani (C.A.).
       
      In addition, we have received old clothes from several samaritans of Mumbai.
      Mr. Soli Doctor is aged about 70 years, suffers from acute arthritis in the legs and other health problems. He has taken significant troubles to make appeals to all friends and relatives and collected large quantity of clothes.
       

   3. We will be sending a third truck containing food and clothing to Gandhidham.
       
4. Latur experience
   Mr. Rashmin Sanghvi and Mr. Hiten Shah amongst others had gone to Latur after the 1993 earthquake. They had provided immediate relief, helped in reconstruction as well as employment to women at Latur villages. Their work went on for two years. Their experience will be useful in meeting the present challenge.
    
5. Trust Background
   Late Shri Manilal Shah and Smt. Chanchalbahen Shah's children have constituted this trust. Some are prominent residents of Mumbai and some are NRIs. They have committed a donation of Rs. 2 crores for the Surendra Nagar district. This amount was initially reserved for water management and tree plantation in Surendra Nagar. During last your years, about forty lakes have been desilted and improvised. Residents of several villages and towns have benefited by the increased supply of water. Specific funds were allocated for some Panjarapols (orphanage for animals). Part of the fund has been utilised. Out of the balance still available, the trustees have now decided to commit Rs. 25 lakhs for earthquake relief work.
    
6. Legal technicalities
   Our trust is registered with the necessary statutory authorities and you should get 100% exemption under section 80G of the Income-tax Act.
   1. Income-tax Registration u/s. 80G – No. DIT(E)/MC/80G/251/98-99
   2. Registration with Charity Commissioner, Mumbai
      No. W 8765 (Bom).
   3. We are also registered with Home Ministry under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). We can receive donations from NRIs and foreigners.
      Our registration No. is 083780613
       
7. Team work
   This is a fine team. The trust has some funds. More funds shall come in as donations.
    
   There is a team of volunteers at Mumbai.
    
   And there are teams of ground level volunteers in Surendra Nagar — Thangadh and Limbdi.
    
   We will co-ordinate, personally supervise and ensure that your donations reach the right beneficiaries. And we will report to you, the progress in the work. (Please give your full address with the cheques.)
    
   Please draw your cheques or drafts in the name of "Smt. C. M. Shah & Sri M. K. Shah Charitable Trust."
    
   In case, you have any suggestions or enquiries, please contact us.
    
   May God Bless the victims and survivors of the earthquake.
    
   Let us do our bit of work.

For Smt. Chanchalbahen Manilal &
Manilal Kushalchand Shah Charitable Turst
Trustees

Dr. N. M. Shah
Ramjibhai Maru

OPPORTUNITY TO WIPE TEARS

I looked in the mirror,
My reflection was hazy.
I wiped the miror,
Still the reflection remained hazy.
I wiped my face,
Still the reflection was hazy.
I was frustrated,
Now what to do?
Then my conscience asked me –
Have you wiped someone's tears?

– With thanks from Mumbai Samachar