Oct 11, 2001

July 23, 2001

Kutch Rebuilding

In June Ahimsa directors Bonny and Rati Shah flew to India with donations in hand to help victims of the Kutch earthquake which shattered Gujarat in January 2001.

Six months after the earthquake, the visible damage is still immense. Crossing the bridge that connects state of Gujarat with Kutch you immediately see almost every building either severely damaged, cracked or completely falling down. Tents of all sizes and shapes dot the road. The vast majority of people, rich and poor, are still living in tents. Some large semi permanent shelters resembling military barracks have been built and are under construction, many by private Indian and foreign charities. From talking with our craftsmen and villagers, it seems that the majority of the temporary housing has been provided by Christian church charities. The local and national government organizations of India have providing building materials for many, cement blocks piled and lined up.

Families rich and poor need to have at least the male head of their family stay close to their home, even if it is a pile of rumble. They wait on government inspectors to assess the damage and give monetary aid to rebuild. Who and what villages get aid, and the quantity of supplies and money varies dramatically. Of course this is the biggest bone of contention, constant complaints of why one family or one village gets x amount and another gets much less or none.

Also a problem is the slowness of the assessments and allocations of funds and building supplies. After talking to hundreds of our craftsmen and their families and locals, the biggest problem seems to be the cost of labor and land. It has skyrocketed because of the huge demand for both. There is a horrendous shortage of skilled carpenters, builders, concrete layers, brick layers, electricians at any price.

Fortunately some of Maharani's poorest, harijan, hindu and muslim craftsmen (potters, embroiderers, quilters in particular) have the skills to rebuild for themselves. Building mud, clay and dung houses with straw roofs, they have created clean, neat and safe structures for themselves on their own!

Meanwhile, the other craftsmen not skilled in this way are forced to wait in cracked buildings and broken rubble or, if fortunate, in tents. Among these are the craftsmen are the metal workers who have worked with Maharani for 20 years or more. Bonny & Rati's personal finances have started to help rebuild their homes, and provided medical attention when needed, as have your kind donations.

The next goal is to provide permanent homes for 40 dislocated families after they acquire the land needed from the Indian government. Our efforts are being coordinating with that of other charities. The cost of the finished permanent home will be approximately $1,000 US dollars, with most of the labor provided by the families themselves.

So far $14,000 dollars has been contributed by you - Ahimsa of Texas donors, friends of Maharani, and others wishing to ease the pain suffered resulting from this quake.

We need to raise at least $6,000 more for these families and again ask for your support. Donations over and above that will be used to help others who have little hope of support through existing channels. Your donations, and those of Bonny & Rati, are helping the poorest of the poor, people who, without your support, would not have the means to rebuild their lives.

On the animal front, packs of pigs could be seen roaming the streets of Bhuj and Mandvi in Kutch. Huge amounts of pigs! We are investigating the best way to control to control this population, which is dangerous to people and to other street animals, especially dogs and cats.

Although the street dogs and cats looked extremely healthy, with the exception of mange skin diseases, there is a terrible need, especially in the cities of Bhuj and Mandvi, for a sterilization ABC program. Two long time Kutchi contacts Lukhoo Shah and Suresh Patwa and family are researching the animal situation, searching for a reputable vet who will be dedicated to a sterilization program of street dogs.

We are also searching for someone to organize water troughs - resting places for the large numbers of working donkeys and horses. We would also like to see a free clinic for health care and educating their owners to more humane care. If any of you have such Kutch contacts please inform us.

Any questions or comments can be directed to Bonny and Rati by e-mail at IndiaProjects@ahimsatx.org.

Please, donations are desperately needed for the people and the families of Kutch. As always, your donations are tax deductible and gratefully appreciated.

Mail to:

India Projects
Ahimsa of Texas, Inc.
1718 E. Jeter Road
Bartonville, TX 76226

Our sincerest thanks ... Bonny and Rati Shah