Sunday, February 05, 2006

DOnation Accounting

Here is an amazing account of how your donated money was used in India. It is really awesome how money, that is little more than pocket change in our privileged environment, can do so much good and have such a large impact else where.

Ramesh told me that the bribery and corruption (avoided by our donation) is unbelievable--affecting virtually every transaction.

Thank you again for the donation. For me this was the best Christmas Gift I have ever given myself.


Chris


From: Ramesh K
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2006 1:54 PM
To: Christopher
Subject: Trip to India

$1450 = INR62,350. Roughly @43.02 to US$1

I arrived in New Delhi on December 25 at 6:25 PM local time. My in-laws who received me at the airport took me to an Orphanage on our way to Gurgaon ( Haryana) where I stayed overnight. The orphanage was having a Christmas party. I donated INR10,000.
[i]

In Jammu I went to camp in the suburbs where earthquake victims were in the process of being rehabilitated. I helped three families living in a tent who had lost the main bread winner. Three children
[ii] one from each family needed an eye surgery[iii] in order for their vision to be restored.

These families didn't have any influence or connections, in fact they were construction laborer working for some state projects. I helped them get treated through a private clinic. Each surgery cost roughly INR12,000 X3 = 36,000
[iv]

About INR16,500 were donated to Kitchen that feeds hungry and homeless in the city of Jammu.
[v]

Pictures of the devastation were from URI
[vi] in Indian part of Kashmir.
Pic # 513,515, 459 earthquake victims who have made their way to Jammu and are living in tents. Picture of children, kids who have lost their parents. Rest of the pictures are of homeless people in Jammu who have been allotted park or public land to set up their homes.

Ramesh



[i] Ramesh told me that the kids at the orphanage had not eaten for a couple of days.
[ii] The girls were age 5, 4½, and 4, and were consider the lowest of lowest in terms of place in society.
[iii] I’m not sure what the surgery is, but the girls had been blind from birth, their sight is return quickly after the surgery.
[iv] Ramesh has a friend that is a nurse who is checking in on the girls. They are making great progress and their sight is returning.
[v] Ramesh also told me about providing food directly to people when he visited the area.
[vi] URI (pronounced oldie) is the farthest North on the India side of Kashmir. This is a dangerous territory, Ramesh had armed escorts to go in a get these pictures,