Speaking of a Minga...

Photos taken from the CI news courtesy of Reuters

I have been approached by a fellow sponsor regarding an emergency situation. On of our own google group sponsors has been affected by the recent disaster in India. Her sponsored child Kanika and Kanika's family lost their mud home to the disaster. Now homeless, with only the clthes on their backs, they need our help.

At first I wasn't sure about what to do. We have fundraisers lined up that are waiting for special needs break downs from the field, and I don't want to push those fundraisers out of the way. After a couple of days of thought, I came up with a plan.

Starting now, we will, also, have emergency projects for times like these. Emergency projects will run concurrently with the regular fundraisers. To qualify for an "emergency" fundraiser, you would be a sponsor that receives a call from CI notifying you of your child's precarious situation. Due to the situation, we will set up a fundraiser to raise $500 to be used as the family needs it (without waiting for a special needs request to be returned). However, you (as the sponsor) will still need to abide by the "pay it forward" concept to get your fundraiser started. This is a "one for all and all for one" group, so I am thinking we are all on the same page about this.

Be thinking of Kanika and the others that were impacted by the most recent disasters. I will be posting her fundraiser as soon as I get the site up.

Here is more information from CI's web-site regarding the Cyclone in India:

Kolkata, India – A team of relief workers from Children International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization, is assessing the damage left in the wake of Cyclone Aila which hit Kolkata (Calcutta), India, on Monday, May 25. Hundreds of children and families supported by the organization are seeking shelter in schools and emergency centers after the rains flooded their homes and destroyed their belongings.

Officials report 70 mph winds damaged over 4,000 homes when the cyclone made landfall. The high winds uprooted trees, damaged buildings, and knocked out communications, while resulting floodwaters washed out public transportation as well as 5,000 acres of land which these farm communities rely on to support themselves.Children International is providing emergency assistance in the form of food, medicines, water-purification tablets, and other supplies.