AIF and UMA Create Uttarakhand Relief Fund

By: American India Foundaion
 
NEW YORK - Aug. 8, 2013 - PRLog -- AIF and UMA Create Uttarakhand Relief Fund

August 7, 2013 – New York, NY – In response to the recent ‘Himalayan tsunami’ – torrential monsoon rains in Uttarakhand and subsequent floods that devastated entire towns and destroyed livelihoods – the American India Foundation (AIF) in partnership with Uttarakhand Mandal of America (UMA)  (http://www.umaus.org/)has created the Uttarakhand Relief Fund to help rebuild affected communities. UMA is a Silicon Valley based non-profit organization whose work includes developing and implementing meaningful programs in Uttarakhand. Most of UMA’s members have roots in Uttarakhand and understand the ground realities and the best methods to help the victims.

AIF was born out of disaster relief after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, when a small group of people including President Clinton saw a desperate need for emergency aid, and created the capability to provide it. Since then, AIF has expanded its work to 22 Indian states through development programs in education, livelihoods, public health, and a prestigious Fellowship, which have impacted over 1.7 million lives. AIF’s resources and experience over the past 12 years puts the organization in a prime position to respond quickly and effectively to help areas in crisis.

Almost a month after India's Himalayan region was shattered by the monsoon floods that killed over 6,000 people and left even more in need of rehabilitation, thousands are still missing. Families with already minimal resources have lost their homes, businesses, bread-earners, and loved ones, and many inland areas and remote mountain villages remain completely cut off from aid supplies and rescue services due to the destruction of roads and transportation. As government disaster management agencies and organizations like ActionAid continue to conduct what some are calling the largest evacuation in India's modern history, those who live in the region are suffering from severe shock, trauma, and despair, living in a surreal world stripped of nearly every manmade structure.

The Uttarakhand Relief Fund will channel donations from people in the US as well as India. “We are considering various projects to begin the healing process, including providing women’s occupational training programs so that families can start earning again, rebuilding village infrastructures, and establishing a telemedicine network to provide critical health care to people in remote areas,” said AIF CEO Ravi Kumar and Dr. Kailash Joshi of UMA, a key AIF founding member who today sits on its US Advisory Council. US Dollar donations can be made through AIF or at UMAUS.org, and Indian Rupee donations through AIF only. Every dollar donated will go directly to helping victims of the ‘Himalayan Tsunami’ rebuild their lives.

To learn more about the Fund and how you can help, visit www.AIF.org or contact 1.888.AIF.4IND. Please consider making a donation. To learn more about donating in India, visit http://aif.org/donate/donate-in-india/.

 

About American India Foundation:

The American India Foundation is committed to catalyzing social and economic change in India and building a lasting bridge between the United States and India. Working closely with local communities, AIF partners with NGOs to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. Founded in 2001 at the initiative of President Bill Clinton, AIF has impacted the lives of more than 1.7 million of India’s poor and aims to reach 5 million by 2018. Learn more at www.AIF.org

About Uttarakhand Mandal of America:

The Uttarakhand Mandal of America (UMA) is a non-profit, voluntary organization whose mission is to nurture a strong network of people around the rich and diverse heritage of Uttarakhand and to develop and implement meaningful programs in Uttarakhand state based on the consensus and contributions of the members. Learn more at umaus.org.

  
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Source:American India Foundaion
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Tags:India, Uttarakhand, Tsunami, Disaster, Floods
Industry:Non-profit, Environment
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